End of the Treasured Ones
by TheCrimina1
Summary: A new character comes, telling the time of a great event that Keitaro already knows of and has kept quiet about. What is happening to the tenants original kanrinin? Read this to find out!
1. The calm begins with shattered beliefs

"End of the Treasured Ones" A Love Hina fanfiction by Ben Woo  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina or any of it's original characters. I also don't own any of Hellsing's fighting styles, namely Alucard and Walter. Should any others be brought in then okay. I do however own Ben Woo and the being (named later so no spoiler). The story line is also mine. You must ask me to refer to this, post it on your site, or use anything from this story that is not of my original creation. This will be the last disclaimer, the other chapters will just refer you to this one.  
  
It was a cool morning at Hinata Sou, and Keitaro found himself cleaning the girls' hot springs. He decided to do it early today simply for his health. He was really tired of Naru, Motoko, Su, and Sarah kicking his butt when they came in to bathe. Keitaro took care to clean all of the bathing area, lest he wish for Naru or the other girls complaining and sending him into low orbit. He was short on clothing from how many times he was sent into the atmosphere. The fall usually burned his clothing. Keitaro quickly finished up his cleaning and went to his other chores, finishing them quickly. His perceptive nose caught on the sweet scent of cooking, no doubt the product of Shinobu Maehara's efforts. It was one of the few pros in his stay here. His body was invincible only because of his diet, mostly consisting of Shinobu's food. It was his secret because should one of the residents know and wish to kill him, then they could just cut off his access to Shinobu's cooking. A cry of, "BREAKFAST IS READY!" cut through Keitaro's reverie. He went to the kitchen, finding his tenants already there. Breakfast went without anything unusual. Unfortunately, the usual consisted of Keitaro saying something wrong and then being sent into low orbit by Naru's trademark punch.  
  
"That Keitaro can't go one day without doing something dumb or perverted! UGH! I'll have to do something!" cried Naru as a vein in her forehead began pulsing with an alarming rate.  
  
"I hope sempai isn't going to get hurt! Oh, Motoko, could you help me fetch Keitaro and tend his injuries?" said a very nervous Shinobu.  
  
"I don't know why you say you'll 'tend' his wounds when he never comes back with injuries. The only thing damaged on him is usually his clothing! I will accompany you however, to protect you from his evil ways," said Motoko in a sage-like way. Unbeknownst to Shinobu, Motoko was really doing this because she didn't want Shinobu to have a nervous breakdown and then make the Hinata Sou residents starve.  
  
By now Keitaro finally made it back to Earth and was doing his best to not look like a hobo. His efforts would go unnoticed however, as most of his clothing was burnt and falling off in chunks.  
  
"I wonder what'll happen next..." said an uneasy Keitaro. He was nervous because he had landed in a forest of some sort behind Hinata Sou. Keitaro turned around and walked right into a boy. Surprised, he falls down. The boy simply laughed and offered his hand, which Keitaro graciously accepted. Assessing the boy, Keitaro guessed he was around fourteen, sixteen at most.  
  
"Sorry about bumping into you," was all Keitaro could sputter.  
  
"Don't worry, I should have moved rather than stand there, Keitaro," said the boy.  
  
"Hey, how do you know my name, and what is your name? Introducing myself seems a little pointless now," said a surprised and somewhat anxious Keitaro.  
  
"My name is Ben Woo, and I am here to help you in the upcoming events. There is much to tell you," was the reply from the now identified boy.  
  
Back at Hinata Sou, the girls are all having a conference in the living room. Even Haruka is there, wearing her black apron and taking long drags on the same cigarette. It is unfathomable how she keeps taking long drags but the cigarette never shrinks in size.  
  
"What happened to sempai?! I'm so worried! What if he was attacked by a yakuza hitman! We have to go search for him! AAAAAHHHHHHHH!" screamed a hysterical Shinobu. She had by now started waving her limbs in a fashion that made them blur, tears came like waters out of a hose, and her irises and pupils had increased to the point that the white was no longer visible.  
  
"Please stop crying Shinobu! Why would he get hit by a yakuza? Besides, after what we've put him through, a nuclear bomb wouldn't kill him," said an almost annoyed Naru.  
  
"Yeah, Keitaro does have the vitality of a roach, infinite. He just can't get hurt. Not possible, so don't worry," added Kitsune.  
  
"USE MECHA TAMA VERSION 8.0!" cried Su as she bounced abou with Sarah in tow.  
  
"No turtles! I can't stand them! They are the devil in his most evil form!" screamed a swirly eyed Motoko. She was waving her katana in wide and unrefined arcs.  
  
The girls continued arguing over what to do, when Keitaro and Ben walked in. The girls all turned to look at the newcomers. Haruka was the first to talk, being the only one with coherent thoughts on mind.  
  
"Konbawa stranger, hey Keitaro. So what happened? Please, sit down," said a calm Haruka.  
  
"Thanks," replied Keitaro and Ben in unison.  
  
"Girls, I'd like to introduce an old friend of mine, he taught me many things that have helped me in my life. None of that knowledge has been revealed to you however, so don't wrack your brains to find it. His name is Ben Woo," said Keitaro.  
  
"Hello, I'm Naru."  
  
"Aoyoma Motoko."  
  
"Maehara Shinobu, nice to meet you."  
  
"Kaolla Su! Do you like Mechas?"  
  
"Sarah McDougal, only resident American!"  
  
"Haruka, a pleasure."  
  
"And I'm Kitsune. I'm sure we'll be friends.." Said a sly and purring Kitsune.  
  
"Well, I'm Ben and I am like you guys, in school, and living life to the fullest. Keitaro, I believe we should go now," said Ben.  
  
"Right, I'll be back in a few hours. Don't hold up dinner, Shinobu, we'll find our own," said Keitaro as he waved goodbye and then left.  
  
"Let's follow them," said Kitsune, who now had her slit like eyes open.  
  
"Yes, that would seem the best course of action, that Ben seems suspicious," added a suspicious Motoko.  
  
"I can't believe it! You guys are judging a fourteen year-old boy! You should be ashamed, especially you Motoko, you're only three years older!" scolded a bold Shinobu.  
  
That crushed all replies that Motoko or Kitsune had. Everyone knew that it was Shinobu who kept everything in the inn running. All the food was cooked, all the clothes were cleaned, and many other chores were done by a fourteen year old girl, not the other older girls who inhabited the inn. Although it was how Shinobu paid the rent, it ashamed all the other girls except Haruka, who didn't actually live in the building. That night however, the girls saw Shinobu dressing in warm clothing and leaving.  
  
"We should go now, she won't know!" whispered Kitsune.  
  
"I don't know, she seemed serious, and when it comes to Shinobu, that almost means world crisis serious," answered a hesitant Naru.  
  
"Let's go! She won't know!" cried a bouncing Su. She was already dressed, shoes and all.  
  
"I am hesitant to disobey Shinobu, but I believe we should go," said Motoko, who decided to say her part.  
  
"Alright, let's go then," said a defeated Naru. She personally liked Shinobu, but her curiosity go the better.  
  
The girls all sneaked out to the patio, where they thought Keitaro and Ben would be. They saw the two, standing in two similar fighting stances. The group hit at the top, just barely poking their head above the first step.  
  
"That can't be...the esoteric fighting stance..." whispered a pale Motoko.  
  
"Please don't be cryptic. Normal people like to understand what is being said," replied Kitsune curiously.  
  
"That stance is legendary. Although it looks simple, it is hard to master. Simply put, energy is drained when you stand that way. The chi flow in you body is positioned to flow out very smoothly, too smoothly. It almost emanates from you so to speak. It gives you almost unimaginable power, but the drawback is that you could easily die from the drain of chi. It is believed that only the creator has ever used it, and the that time was supposedly when the master was fighting a son of the lord of terror himself," said Motoko quickly, who was looking at the two people intensely.  
  
"Wait, if this stance is so powerful, why is it that other schools don't use it, and how come Keitaro knows it? So many questions, and I bet that those two know ALL the answers," said a now interested Naru.  
  
The group could feel the tension from the two fighters. Only Motoko noticed the colors of the chis, being as though she was the only one who had any knowledge or training in that area out of the group at the stairs. Keitaro's was a mix between yellow and green, which meant a calm spirit generally, but a dormant power. Yellow meant true power and green meant a calmness and near infinite patience, so that was how Motoko came to her conclusion. Ben's was frightening though, which was why Motoko spent more time looking at Keitaro. She did find the colors though: black and white. That combo was considered both a blessing and fear, fear was showing more of a presence however. Black meant that there was great angst within the vessel and white meant that there was great happiness. However, there was the rumor that when these two mixed, that was the sign that the person was a divine being. Suddenly, the figures blurred. They reappeared right in front of each other, parry and attacking each other. The skill of the two was incredible. It was impossible even for Motoko to follow all the attacks. The fighters broke, and then began moving their arms in front of each other. Keitaro put his hand into his sleeves and removed them, bring his hands to a position similar to what a cat's cradle position would look like. Ben had formed two l's with his hands, with the right hand l upside down and the other right side up. Keitaro blurred again, and Motoko thought she saw strings flying. She saw she was correct when the moonlight reflected on the strings. The strings began moving towards Ben at a speed faster than imaginable. Ben just stood however, as if planning. His palms glowed, and then his arms turned into nightmarish creatures. If forced to judge, a person would have said that the two creatures looked like dogs with necks that stretched into Ben's body. The 'dogs' bit the strings as they came, but one was sliced up into pieces when it was caught off guard by a set of strings. Ben didn't even flinch, it seemed to the fight's spectators that he didn't feel the creature's pain. The remaining 'dog' retracted back to Ben's arm, and then Ben regenerated his other arm, which was a stump from the elbow down. The fighters then smiled, and somehow summoned swords from the air around them into their hands. Ben's had a black blade, with a white hilt. The sword itself also faintly glowed white. Keitaro's was a strange assortment to say the least. The sword was basically a long vine that looped into the shape o a sword. Placed in various locations were small yellow orbs. There was no glow on this sword however. The two combatants charged and clashed their blades. Ben's sword glowed a brighter white along with his body while the orbs on Keitaro's sword glowed yellow and his body generated a bright yellow aura. The two fought with what seemed a berserk rage. Brawlers in bars and street fighters would have been proud of the raw fighting power of the fighters. After about five full minutes of clashing and bashing, the fighters backed off. They unsummoned their swords by having them disappeared into the air. Then the two fighters smiled and began to talk.  
  
"Good, good! I didn't expect you to retain this much skill after our parting," replied Ben happily.  
  
"Well, I practice in secret you know? It isn't hard, the others don't know how much time there actually is. Haha, they don't really understand much," said Keitaro. At this the girls fumed, but kept silent so that they would go unnoticed.  
  
"Yeah but they do now. Or at least they know you have secrets that you haven't revealed. I feel your upcoming pain," said Ben.  
  
"Great," was all he got.  
  
Cries of "URAHSIMA!", "KEITARO!", "KEEEITARO!", and other war cries rang as the girls who were hiding before made their presence known by coming out and bashing Keitaro. Afterwards everyone went to the living room and the girls began their demands.  
  
"What was that! You were incredible! Since when did you know that!" screamed and demanded Naru. Similar comments were being made by the other girls, including Shinobu who had seen the fight halfway through when she came back.  
  
"Okay, I'll explain the details after Ben gets the main points. I still don't know why he came. He doesn't come unless something incredibly good happens, something incredibly bad happens, or he needs me to help fight off some incredibly evil force," was Keitaro's reply. Everyone turned their attention to Ben, who was sweat dropping and trying to make lasers come out of his eyes at Keitaro.  
  
"Thanks for the help...Anways, I'll start by explaining it from the beginning then," said Ben. He looked around and realized that everyone was paying attention. He then began the story.  
  
Author's Note: Please Review and Reply. I need them to decide what to do. Anyway, if you want to talk to me about this, my AIM screen name is TheCrimina1. Thanks! 


	2. Revelations and decision

"End of the Treasured Ones" A Love Hina fanfiction by Ben Woo  
  
Disclaimer: See Ch. 1  
  
"In the beginning, there was nothing. That much is obvious because life obviously began with it.," Ben began. Everyone was paying rapt attention. It was really starting to get on Ben's nerves, but he shrugged it off and continued on.  
  
"Anyway, in the beginning there was nothing. During the time in which there was nothing, some superior being or group of beings, I'm not sure, came. I won't say they're gods because I'm an atheist, but I can tell you right now they're incredibly powerful. What you saw Keitaro and I do, that is probably a small fraction of what they could do. Remember, no one can explain how life truly came, so this could be a possibility. These beings were the reason life began. They planted ameba on the planet and set a course for everything. They never inhabited this planet themselves, which in itself is weird. The reason they brought life was that they were being punished, or so says the prophecies of various cultures. Oh, all the information I'm relating to you is coming from what Keitaro and I found back in our younger days--"  
  
"Wait, you can't be more than fourteen!" exclaimed a clearly shocked Naru.  
  
"I'll address that," replied Ben, "Well, I'll address that AFTER this explanation. Where was I? Oh, the scrolls. They were namely from the Inca, Aztec, and surprisingly Keitaro found a cult member's scribble that related to the other two culture's predictions. All three foretell of a great occurrence that will wipe out the population. I am going to venture a guess that these beings planned this. Keitaro guessed that this occurrence is actually a test to see if the lives on earth are worth sparing. Sparing from what we don't know or guess. I imagine that it would be bad for us, but not exactly horrifying for them. Back on the subject, this occurrence that is described varies. My guess is that these occurrences were based on what each group feared most or greatly so. For example, the Inca said that the occurrence would be a giant spread of disease. After all, many of their kind died because of the diseases that the Europeans brought. The Aztec believed the occurrence was going to be god coming and demanding everyone be killed to for a sacrifice. Lastly, the cult believed an evil being would come. This one is probably the most dangerous and most likely to happen. Keitaro, why don't you explain some now?"  
  
"Sure. Since Ben and I believed in the cult's predictions more, we decided to train ourselves to fight. It was unorthodox, but we decided to for two reasons. One, the world wouldn't lock us away, the only ones possessing the knowledge and two it would most certainly be easier to manage if it was all covered-up. We trained for quite some time. To be honest, I've been lying about some of my life. I never actually went to high school-"  
  
"WHAT!" was everyone's reply except Ben. Haruka even let the cigarette fall out of her mouth, a miracle in her case.  
  
"Yes, officially I did attend high school, but I personally wasn't there. Prior to my first encounter with Ben, Ben was studying the field of nano technology, more specifically nano machines. To give background, nano machines are microscopic machines that are can repair human tissue or rebuild things from scratch. Ben had already been able to construct a colony of them, and used them to create a clone of sorts. That clone has subbed for me until I actually started studying for Todai. I came to study for my promise, obviously. The colony itself scattered when I came, destroying the evidence that there was a clone," Keitaro said.  
  
He looked around and noticed the thoughtful looks that were being exhibited in various ways. Motoko had closed her eyes and was sitting a lotus position on the floor. Kitsune was rubbing her chin not unlike Sherlock Holmes. Shinobu was nodding slowly while sipping her tea. She looked the most normal. Su was drooling and trying to eat her clothing. Naru was sort of poking her chin with her right index finger and was holding a thoughtful look on he face. Haruka had lit a new cigarette and was taking long and slow drags on it. Keitaro decided to continue.  
  
"Well, after I came back, I studied, failed, came here, and the rest is history. Now back to the past. Before I left Ben to study, I told him to meet me around this time. So here we are now. I believe that we have about four days until they come. Three guaranteed, but the being may attack on the fourth. I think that the best course of action would be to train, Ben and me that is, until the time of the attack comes. We'll see you later," ended Keitaro.  
  
With that said, Ben and Keitaro left and walked off towards the balcony, leaving the girls to think on what to do. Haruka, with the help of her trusty cigarette, regains her composure first.  
  
"Hinata Sou we have a problem. It seems many of us have been fooled for quite some time. I will admit, I am shocked, but I believe we should let this go--"  
  
"NO! We can't let this deception slip!" cried Motoko.  
  
"Yeah, I can't believe Keitaro would do this, after all this time, he still kept something secret..so big too," said Naru, though the last part was a whisper. Everyone knew what she said, however.  
  
"Urashima must be punished for this. We all have had our good times, though I loathe to admit, but they were all based on lies! Argh! Zankusen!" raged Motoko, who had just blasted a hole in the wall.  
  
"What's all the ruckus? Did I miss something important?" Asked Kanako, who had just arrived.  
  
"Yes, I'll explain," said Naru.  
  
Naru explained the situation, and afterwards ran behind Shinobu. Her reason: Kanako was seething and her normally pale skin was a bright red and she was producing steam from her ears. It would have seemed to the average man that Kanako was having an incredible fever, but those who knew her well could tell that it was something that involved her brother. Also, they already knew, as they bore witness to the event.  
  
"NII-SAN LIED TO ME! THAT WAS HIS CLONE WHO I FELL IN LOVE WITH! NO! IT CAN'T BE!" she screamed. The girls had to cover their ears, which already had earplugs in them, to avoid becoming deaf.  
  
"Please calm down, Kanako-senpai! Don't hurt Urashima-senpai!" wailed Shinobu frantically, hoping her pleas would be answered by whatever higher beings there may be.  
  
At this plea Kanako calmed down a little, enough for her usual state of mind to take over, thus fully calming her. She sat down, took the teapot that Shinobu had left on the table, and drank from the teapot. No one said 'ew' for fear of evoking Kanako's undoubtedly powerful wrath.  
  
"I see Keitaro has been..deceptive to say the least," Kanako said, not realizing or not caring about the fact she was being redundant.  
  
"Yes, he has," said Haruka, who had regained composure second this time.  
  
"We will have to do something about this. I understand the importance of the secrecy of the information, but in the grand scheme of things I find this unfair to the rest of the population, being that only two of over eight billion know of what is to come. They should at least ask for help from their close ones," said Kanako, her tone made it seem as if it was an order, instead of just a statement.  
  
"Yeah, but Kanako-chan, could you please stop glowing?" asked a frightened but almost blind Kitsune. At this everyone face faulted.  
  
"Gomenasai, I didn't notice. Well, I think I have a plan.." said Kanako as she began whispering in a low tone.  
  
On the balcony Ben and Keitaro were leaning against the railing. Both had known it would come to this, and were prepared. They would go through with it even if they hurt those they loved and made those loved ones hate them. It didn't matter in the long run. After all, what was two lives and a few depressions compared to the lives of billions? A lot, that's what. Keitaro couldn't think straight, his thoughts were jumbled thinking of a way to explain these thoughts to his tenants. He knew that he would most likely die, actually it was pretty much a guarantee since the being was supposed to explode after dying. Of course he made sure the girls didn't find out. It was a small piece of information that he and Ben had discovered. He remember the passage clearly.  
  
'And should the being who comes be vanquished, his remaining power shall be released, damning the ones who dared to stop him and taking them with him to the fiery debts of hell itself.'  
  
That last part about the death and damning wasn't too pleasant, but it would be worth it. These same thoughts were running through Ben's head, minus the part about explaining it to the girls. With this in mind, he began talking, blissfully ignorant of Keitaro's devious scheme.  
  
"Hey Keitaro, what will you say to the girls? I'm especially concerned for Shinobu, it looks like anything could scare her. Oh, Naru too, especially since I can tell you two have the strongest bond. You really do live the life that the average man dreams and wishes for," he said.  
  
"Yeah, I've got an idea though. Would you like to participate? I won't reveal the details unless you agree, and if you don't agree then I won't tell," responded Keitaro. Never being one to be a non-participant and one to fall for lures like this, Ben quickly accepted with a 'sure'.  
  
"Great, now to reveal the plan. I will discuss the plan with Kitsune, Naru, and Su. You will discuss this with Motoko, Haruka, and Shinobu. I--"  
  
"What are you thinking! I am not going to talk to the people who are most likely to kill me before I get words out of my mouth. Not even a word, most likely a grunt, the one I'll make after my head rolls to the floor. You and I both know Motoko has her sword and Haruka has the whip. Shinobu is the only one who won't kill me! Argh! I can't believe my friend would do this to me. Hmph!" interrupted Ben.  
  
"You said you would though, so that's moot. Anyway, we'll talk to them about the whole truth. We omitted most of it and they believed it, but I think we need to reveal the whole thing, so that they can't doubt with their strengthened faith in us," said Keitaro, smiling broadly at seeing his plan work.  
  
"Great, my partner is going to send me on a trip to death. It's like Monopoly, 'go to death, go directly to death, do not live, do not collect what you deserve'. Oh well, let's get this over with," Ben sighed.  
  
Author's Notes: Man, this took a while to think of, which I'm very surprised about. Usually writing comes easy, but making it good is hard! Well, if you don't know, check out my AIM profile for updates. I usually update it as soon as something comes up, which is quite often. If you don't have AIM then just read these notes. I will be renaming this fic most likely, along with naming the chapters. However, these names will pretty much be a voting thing. E-mail me what title you want. Please make sure to include which chapter you want named, and if it's for the title please say so. I'll tally all of them up. I'll change the title November 30, that should be enough time. If you have questions or comments, e-mail at benjoewoo@yahoo.com. My AIM is TheCrimina1. Oh, I need pre-readers so please give me your e-mail address if you're interested Until we meet again! 


	3. Truth is added to the mind and the newco...

"End of the Treasured Ones" A Love Hina fanfiction by Ben Woo  
  
Disclaimer: See Ch.1  
  
Ben left for Motoko's room first, so that when he arrived at the other two he would get medical aid if needed. He knocked on the door and called 'Motoko'.  
  
"Come in, Woo-san." So he came in.  
  
"Hey Motoko, how's it going?" he started.  
  
"Everything is well enough, given the circumstances. I would like to discuss some things with you, however," she said while sipping green tea.  
  
"I understand that. In fact, I came here to clear some things up myself. Why don't you start?"  
  
"Hai. I ponder why is it you need Keitaro's help. Although I can wager that he is good at fighting from our earlier view, I cannot see why you would need his help. You seem powerful enough to defeat anyone or anything."  
  
"Well, I can pretty much sum my reasons to two: Keitaro is my friend and both of us found the passages, which is reason enough. Anything else?"  
  
"Yes, could you teach e to manipulate my ki into those forms?"  
  
"Sorry, but that move took five years to learn, and we certainly don't have the time. Now for my end. We didn't reveal everything in our conversation earlier, and we plan to tell everyone. We're actually telling everyone personally, which should be a good thing."  
  
"Okay, now continue."  
  
"Alright. Too clear up some things, Keitaro and I are both human, just incredibly powerful and hard to kill. We can manipulate ki to the point in which we can distort reality to an extent, cause hallucinations, and make things like muscle denser or more spacious. We make our muscles dense when we fight to get more power and take less damage. The truth about the upcoming battle is that both Keitaro and I have a 9:1 probability of death. I'll do my best to keep him alive, but those efforts may not be enough. Besides, if both of us are about to die, we'll just use the last resort."  
  
"What would that be?" inquired Motoko.  
  
"I call it the 'Glorifying light' and Keitaro calls it 'seppuku ki-blast'. I believe it's glorifying because c'mon, you're sacrificing your life to save the world's. Of course the blast'll take about half the city but hey, there's always gonna be some destruction. With Keitaro unleashing the same blast, most likely all of Tokyo will be gone. I think that's good though, because Naru won't study as much and the others won't have to worry about school, including you."  
  
"I see.. Interesting thoughts on how to achieve victory. I think that I've heard enough. You may go." Said Motoko. She was still in shock, but it wasn't to the point that a good bath wouldn't sooth.  
  
"Ok, time to go to Haruka." said Ben as he left. He wasn't sure what to watch out for when he talked to Haruka. It didn't even make sense as Haruka was Keitaro's relative but he was the one talking to her.  
  
"Maybe it has to do with her ability to use a--"  
  
"Use a what? Can I help you, Woo-san?" said Haruka, who had mysteriously popped up.  
  
"Yes, I've come to talk to you about the upcoming battle. If you have questions feel free to ask."  
  
"Alright, what'll happen if you lose, and how do you plan to keep that from happening?" she spat out.  
  
"Well, if we lose then the being will kill everyone. This is assuming it's a being that is. If it's a some disease then we can't help it. However, to keep from losing to the being, Keitaro and I plan to fight to the last breath. If we have to we'll use our last resort." Said a serious Ben. Haruka could tell that no joke would lighten the mood or help it.  
  
"What is this last resort?"  
  
"We plan to use our ultimate techniques. They're the same in nature, the very essence of our ki. It is the ki that normal people never tap for power. It can be use multiple times, but depletes the person, eventually killing them too. Keitaro and I don't need to fear the depletion as compared to the blast radius. I would roughly estimate that if either of us fired one, half of Tokyo would become a crater. Imagine two of those blasts going off. We tried blasting them into the ocean, and boy did we regret it. The blasts turned to steam on contact, but the impact from the blast parted the water so we could see the bottom, dry as the desert. We also saw the burnt bodies of animals, which undoubtedly died when the waves crashed on them. It was an amazing and terrifying sight."  
  
"I don't doubt you could produce such a blast, and I'm sure that you won't use it unless necessary, but I still have one question. What will you do if you live?"  
  
"Well, it's a 9:1 chance that we will live. This is the chance for just one of us, okay? Anyway, if we do live, we'll most likely live our normal lives. I might ask to move into Hinata Sou, assuming the girls would let me."  
  
"Of course they will. They wouldn't disagree for fear of your prowess and the fact that your going to probably save their precious Keitaro."  
  
"Haha, yeah, Keitaro always did have the luck. Well, I still have to talk to Shinobu, and it's getting late. Are we done?"  
  
"Yes, we are. Thanks for this talk." Said Haruka.  
  
"See you later then."  
  
Ben looked around for Shinobu, but couldn't find her at all. He decided to go and get something to eat around town instead of leeching off of Shinobu. He didn't want to impose and create more work for the frail looking girl.  
  
*She's strong, that's for sure, but she's a girl nonetheless. She deserves a lot.* he thought.  
  
A scream rang out in a nearby alley. At first Ben didn't want to check it out, but the sound of the voice seemed familiar.  
  
"Wait, that wouldn't happen to be...OH $#!%!" he said as he bolted towards the sound.  
  
He turned into the alley and to his fears he saw two men holding Shinobu. A third was in front, saying something, but Shinobu's screams muffled the words. Without thinking, Ben concentrated on his ki and seemed to melt into the floor. He became part of the environment. By now the three men had dragged Shinobu into a car and were driving. Unbeknownst to them, Ben was following them as their car's shadow.  
  
*I'll make sure everyone of those bastards get their @$$ beaten. I can't kill though, not without a cause. I only wish that I didn't take that oath!* he thought as we followed the kidnappers.  
  
The kidnappers came to an abandoned building. The surroundings weren't familiar to Ben, so he couldn't place the area, but that wasn't the subject on his mind. All he was seeing was red and all he could feel was rage. Ben found out the kidnappers were actually yakuza while listening to them. He didn't just charge in because even a fighter of his mettle could die from being shot.  
  
"Hey boss, we got this young thing near the market. No escort, not even a concealed weapon! Bleh, kids these days don't even know to fear the yakuza!" said one of them. Ben decided to label each man. He called this one '#1'  
  
"Yeah, didn't even put up much of a struggle. This one is from that girls dormitory too! I heard they all knew how to fight. Well, this one must be the peacemaker." Said another man. Ben labeled him '#2'.  
  
"Stop chatting! We need to make this video quick! There's only three of us here, and I don't want to get caught!" said the third one. Apparently this man was the brains of the operations, so Ben labeled him '#3'.  
  
"Hehe, right. Now girly, just sit tight!" said #1, as he held out a knife and reached to cut Shinobu's dress. Then the dim lighting in the room suddenly cut.  
  
"What happened! Get the lights!" cried one of the men.  
  
"Ah! Ambush! Get the guns!" said one of the others, who was frantic. The lights flickered back on, much to the delight of the three yakuza.  
  
"Whew, just a power outage. Let's get back-WHAT! Where's the girl!" said #3.  
  
"You shouldn't worry about her while I'm here. I'll have some fun while I'm here," came a haunting voice.  
  
"Ah! It really is an ambush!" cried #2, who had gone crazy earlier. The three began firing randomly at the walls, which left the already shabby room in an even larger mess.  
  
"Pathetic, you guys didn't even look in the right direction once. Prepare to suffer for hurting an innocent girl!" cried the voice as a figure fell from the ceiling and made a graceful landing.  
  
"Die!" the yakuza cried in unison, emptying their clips into the figure.  
  
None of the bullets made it to the figure however, as 'clinks' and other sounds of metal meeting metal were heard. When the bullets stopped, the object meeting them stopped too. It turned out to be a Chinese straight sword. It was about 40 inches in length and the blade was black. The figure was revealed to be Ben, but unfortunately for the yakuza they didn't know that this 'boy' would be the one to beat all of them. Ben charged at them, holding both his sheath and his sword. The sheath was completely black and looked like it was made of steel, but the yakuza weren't paying attention, they were just concentrating on reloading and shooting. Ben was holding the sword upright in his right hand and the sheath upside down (he held the base end with the point close to the ground. Imagine a ninja holding a ninjatou). He slammed #1 with the side of the sword as to not kill but to incapacitate. Ben blurred and reappeared right next to #2 and hit him with both a kick to the back and a sheath slash to the legs. A sickening crack was heard as the sheath broke the bones where it hit.  
  
"Interesting moves, boy. Try me though." Said #3, pulling out a pair of tonfas.  
  
"Good, a duel for the last two fighters." Answered Ben. The smile on his face unnerved the remaining yakuza, but he wouldn't tell this to the 'boy' standing in front of him.  
  
#3 made the first move and tried slamming his tonfas into Ben in a pincer attack. Both tonfas were blocked by Ben however. He had used the ends of his sheath to meet with the sides of the tonfas and stop them. With his sword arm still free, he slammed the yakuza into the wall with a slash to his chest. The yakuza flew into the wall with enough force to form a dent. Ben followed up with a last attack, slashing both his sheath and sword at the same time. The movements were hard to follow, but if they were, then the person watching would say that he say Ben slash with both the sheath and sword at the same time and then follow up with the same attack three more times. Ben finished his attack and looked at his handiwork. He had knocked two of the three into unconsciousness without major injury, but the third one would need medical attention. He took a moment to smile at his deed and left. Outside, Shinobu was laying against the front wall, curled up crying. Ben decided to talk about the past moments before taking her to Hinata Sou.  
  
"I'm not going to ask if you're alright because I can see that you aren't after this. I'm sorry that you had to experience such an offense. If I had been here earlier then it wouldn't have happened. Tell me though, why didn't you ask someone to come with you? It would have guaranteed that you wouldn't have been kidnapped."  
  
"I know. Gomenasai, Woo-san. I'm sorry that you had to get involved. I thought that a small trip to the market wouldn't hurt and I didn't want to disturb anyone, so I just left without thinking. I can't believe how dangerous it is!" Cried Shinobu. She was crying desperately. Ben hugged her and felt her ease a bit.  
  
"It's okay that you did what you did. Personally I'm surprised that this happened. I thought Japan was the place where things like this never happened. Well, we should get back now, neh?"  
  
"Hai, we should. Thanks again." said Shinobu.  
  
They walked home with Ben telling Shinobu the details that He had told to both haruka and Motoko. Throughout the conversation Shinobu remained quiet. Both of the teenagers did not note the fact Shinobu was clinging to Ben's arm as if it was a life line. They didn't seem to mind, which was a good sign, until they reached Hinata Sou.  
  
"WOO-SAN!!!!! How could you take advantage of Shinobu and keep her out this late! I thought you were a gentleman and I find out that you have kept our Shinobu out this late!" ranted Motoko, who was acting like a crazed tiger that has broken out of hits cage.  
  
"You should've at least told us! WE are starving, UNLIKE you guys. You probably went to that fancy Arpeggio's restaurant. You should be punished for making tenants of a dormitory starve!" complained Kitsune.  
  
More complaints were yelled at Ben by all the people present except Haruka who was absent, Ben and Shinobu because they knew what really happened, and Keitaro who had seen the look on the former twos' faces. Ben and Shinobu went inside along with Keitaro. The three decided to go to the kanrinin's room to discuss what happened.  
  
"So, Ben, what happened? I can guess where ever you went you didn't have fun at." He said matter of factly, pointing at the sword (in the sheath of course) Ben was holding.  
  
"Oops. Well, it's pretty long, but I think we have time. Before I start, did you talk your half of the dormitory?" asked Ben.  
  
"Yeah. I didn't get hit once. Naru just stared and hugged me, Kitsune took huge gulps out of her bottle, and Su just kept bouncing around as if nothing happened. Please start now." Said Keitaro with a noticeable gesture.  
  
"Well, Shinobu went to the market, but was kidnapped along the way. I hadn't told her about the other details yet and I was getting something to eat. I heard her scream and followed it to her being held by three yakuza members. I just followed them to their little hideout and busted in on them. It wasn't much of a rescue though. We walked home and discussed the details as we walked. Pretty uninteresting except for the kidnapping and the saving." Said Ben casually.  
  
"Well, I'm glad you did what you did Ben. I'll go tell the other tenants." Said Keitaro. He got up, bowed, and left.  
  
"Uh, Woo-san, I--"  
  
"Please just call me Ben. I'm really annoyed with this 'Woo-san'. It sounds as if I'm going to be evicted or something."  
  
"Hai, I will then. I would like to thank you again." Said a blushing Shinobu.  
  
The two looked at each other and saw something special in each others' eyes. Slowly they moved their heads forward and their lips met. The kiss was light, but moved into a more involved one. The two only stopped to take a breath.  
  
"Arigatou, Ben. Goodnight," said Shinobu with a wave.  
  
"Yeah, g'night," replied Ben. Needless to say, the two teens didn't sleep very well that night.  
  
Author's Notes: Man, no one is e-mailing about the titles. Well, the thing'll go until the end of November as I said. The chapter naming will continue to go on as usual too. Once again, look on my AIM profile for more updates. My screen name is TheCrimina1 and my e-mail is benjoewoo@yahoo.com. Ja ne! 


	4. A battle occurs, a secret is told, and a...

"End of the Treasured Ones" A Love Hina fanfiction by Ben Woo  
  
Disclaimer: See Ch. 1  
  
Beginning Note: There is a difference between ki and chi. The largest is that chi is Chinese and ki is Japanese. In Gong Fu (Chinese martial arts EX.: Shaolin), chi is the flow of air through the body. If your chi is good, that means you're breathing correctly and that nothing is wrong with your body. Utilizing chi correctly can speed up healing and revitalize a person in a fight. A good example of a chi user is Bruce Lee. Ki comes from Japanese martial arts. It is supposedly the inner energy of a person. It can be projected outwards and damage enemies. There are no real life examples that I can think of, but many animes have ki users. The most well known would be the Dragon Ball sagas. Almost everyone fires ki blasts.  
  
It was around 5:00 a.m. that Motoko woke up. She thought about going back to sleep, but realized that she would just get up 30 minutes later. She got out of bed, though a bit lazily, and prepared for the upcoming day. With her katana she walked out to the balcony she usually practiced at. Fortunately for her Shinobu hadn't hung up the laundry yet, so Motoko wouldn't have to watch out for what she hit. She started practicing her strike in her usual manner: watch for a leaf and then slice it in half. A few hours later Ben came up on the balcony unnoticed by Motoko. He simply watched her and made mental notes on her fighting styles. By now Motoko had moved on to using her techniques and moving through katas.  
  
*She concentrates all her strength in the first strike in most of her successions of slashes, so it should be the same in battle. Those techniques don't look too hard to counter. Interesting, she has one that only affects evil..that can't be good...That's the only one I should watch for I think. The Zankussen utilizes wind, so simply cutting the focal point should do it or running through it. Dodging it would be useless because of the fact that the air near the blast is concentrated more. That little backlash would throw me like a rag doll and do more than the initial impact of the actual projectile. Her banishing technique is going to be a tricky %^$&* there. It seems like the normal Zankussen except it has that little effect, so dodging it and running through it would be fatal or incapacitate me for a good while. I should just get used to slicing her techniques with my sword.* Ben thought.  
  
Ben decided to see if his evaluations were correct. It would serve as both training and a test on his ability to judge. He couldn't spar with Keitaro, being as though the kanrinin wasn't even conscious yet. It was a shame too, they only had three more days. The past events seemed like a lot, but luckily they happened quickly.  
  
"Hey Motoko! Let's spar. I can't spar against a semi-conscious Keitaro so I decided to spar against you. Please allow me this honor," he said with a bow.  
  
"Woo-san! I didn't notice you were there. Of course I will spar against you, it would be my honor," said Motoko.  
  
"Ok, and please don't call me Woo-san. Just call me Ben. Let's start then," said Ben, materializing his sword (the straight sword and sheath again) from the air above him. He caught it and dropped into the stance he used on the yakuza the night before.  
  
*He's using a different stance from the one he used yesterday and he has a sword that just came from thin air! I can't even read his ki at all. Maybe it's best to make the first move to test him.* Motoko thought. These were all jumbled however, as her mind was being overloaded just by this show.  
  
Motoko charged from her spot towards Ben with blinding speed. She aimed for his sword arm. She slashed, but the slash was blocked by Ben, who anticipated the strike. More followed to Ben's shoulders and legs, but he parried them as well.  
  
*I guessed right it seems. She uses the most strength in the first strike. I should've expected this however, being as though she comes from a samurai family. They all concentrate it on the first strike. It would've worked if she was about ten times as strong, because THEN she might make me flinch or break my guard. Unfortunately for her this is not the case. I'll finish this now, it's not training at all. I'll just use an old technique. Let's see if she'll stay conscious through it..* Ben thought.  
  
Motoko stopped her barrage and jumped back to the other side of the balcony. She was panting from the effort. She stood there with her sword held in front of her, her right foot in front of her left. She concentrated on controlling the flow of her chi. She wasn't very successful however, as she had only minimal knowledge of it.  
  
*She knows of chi? That is very interesting. Here I was to think that China and Japan hated each other and wouldn't even associate with each other.* thought Ben.  
  
Ben stood up from his position and held his arms to the side, the tips of the blade and sheath pointed towards the ground. He began to glow black, his sword turning into its true form (the sword that was described in Ch.1) and the sheath disappearing from his hand. He brought the sword forward along with his arms, pointing the tip at Motoko. He held the hilt with both hands, making it look like he was struggling.  
  
"Motoko! I am going to use a powerful technique on you. I would like to warn you that your attempt to control your chi isn't going to help too much. The stance you are in disrupts the flow to your legs and your muscles are too tense to be able to fully use the chi that you are trying to use. The best option for you that I can see is your banishing technique. Most of my power is derived from darkness, so it would have a profound effect. Beware however, that if your attack fails, I will use my technique on you," said Ben.  
  
With a crazed sounding war cry, Motoko charged, katana raised above her head. She screamed and brought her sword down about ten feet away from Ben. Her succession technique was released and headed straight towards Ben. It hit home and there was a grand explosion, resulting in a mushroom cloud of sorts. The cloud cleared, and there Ben was. His shirt was ripped to the point that it couldn't even pass as a tight bikini top. His pants were now shorts, small enough to be short shorts for third graders. Other than that however, he sustained no damage, at least on the surface. Ben smiled, then collapsed. Motoko was shocked about the turn of events and thought she had either beaten Ben to a pulp or killed him. That was her thought until she was suddenly flung to the railing. She looked around and caught a blur. It was transparent for the most part, but there was an outline. The blur looked like it was water in a moving container. The only reason she saw it was because of the glare from the sun on the blur. The blur charged at her, and slashed her with a sword, or at least Motoko thought it was a sword. The fact that she was quickly losing consciousness from the slashes was clouding her judgment. The berserk barrage stopped, and the figure that was before the blur jumped back. Colored came back, revealing a Ben in new clothing. He had replaced his attire with a set of small armor and some clothing. There was a chest armor that only covered the top part of the torso, two shin guards, and two braces on his arms which went from the bottom of his wrist to a little bit before the elbow. All of the armor was blue. The clothing was white in general, with thin gold lines running along the sleeves and legs. Ben's feet had been covered with an old type of shoe. They looked like they were from ancient China, from what Motoko could tell. He still held his sword.  
  
"You are definitely strong Motoko. You still have a lot of potential. With the proper training you could become just as strong as Keitaro and I," he finally said.  
  
"I am honored at your compliment. I must ask though, how old are you? You have the body of a fourteen year old. Oh, and how old were you when you met Keitaro? How old was he? Lastly, what did you do during the time between Keitaro's departure from your life and your coming to Hinata Sou?" asked Motoko.  
  
"Well, for the first one, I'm about forty years old, double Keitaro's age. Before you ask, I simply used my ki and chi to achieve this. My ki changed my body while my chi kept it that way. I've been doing this so that I couldn't ever lose my touch. As you age you lose your skill you know, so I had to do this. When I met Keitaro I was around my late twenties or early thirties. He was around his mid teens or late teens. We met in a odd sort. You see, Keitaro also studied the Urashima family style, so he had some type of training. He wanted to spar me, so I granted his request. I won and Keitaro decided that this was his chance to become the ultimate warrior. He tagged along with me. That was about the time I decided to use the colony of nano machines to sub in for him. We traveled around and studied at various temples, dojos, etc. We trained in almost all styles. We even advanced some with our skills. We eventually made up the moves that we use now. The move I just used on you I made up on my own. Keitaro also has some moves of his own, which he keeps personal. We don't always share our techniques because then it would be too hard to win a sparring match and this way it would force us to keep training. After Keitaro left I just continued wandering the world," said Ben. The last sentence however, sounding like Ben was trying to avoid talking. Motoko would have none of that though.  
  
"What are you trying to hide?" she asked bluntly.  
  
"I guess I can't slip it past you. This next part is to be kept secret from Shinobu at all costs understand? Under no circumstances should she know about this. During my travels, I met Shinobu's dad. I didn't know that he was her father at the time, though. He seemed like a great, guy, so I hung with him for a while. The time I spent with him was great.." started Ben.  
  
flashback  
  
A young Ben is sparring with another man. The man looks about ten years older, but he moves like he was that much younger. He has brown hair with black eyes and tanned skin. He is wearing a simple hakama, white gi with black pants. Ben is wearing his armor (described above) and is wielding his sword and sheath almost lazily. The man Ben faces however, is fighting with a berserk fury. Ben ducked a wide slash and saw the largest opening yet, so he took advantage and slammed the sheath into the man's groin. The man flew back, clutching his groin as if it would save him.  
  
"Ow! Why'd you do that?! How am I supposed to have kids now?!" shouted the man.  
  
"Sho Maehara, I'm disappointed. You've already had a kid, so why would you worry? You wouldn't be trying to find a new wife and start a new family now would you? Besides, you were just randomly slashing," said Ben casually.  
  
"Argh! Even though you're incredibly strong you shouldn't take advantage of an old man like me. Well, what's done is done. Let's go eat and watch the TV. I heard that CNN is covering new stuff today," said Sho. With that said, the two walk into a nearby hut, laughing.  
  
End of flashback  
  
"That was a memorable moment. I just described that to give a little background on his personality. Now to move on to the real deal," said Ben.  
  
flashback  
  
It is three years past the time of the flashback before, and we find Ben wandering around. He had by now left his friend Sho, and was continuing his training elsewhere. His surroundings: trees everywhere. The trees and the silence was getting on Ben's nerves, so occasionally he would slash and cut down twenty trees just to hear some type of sound. He somehow makes it to a clearing and finds to his horror his old friend Sho, lying on the ground bleeding from a wound to his stomach.  
  
"Sho! What happened?" asked Ben. He didn't try to tend the wound as it was already too late, and both of them knew it.  
  
"I was attacked by a shadowed figure. I couldn't even get a slash at him, or see him at all. He was incredibly powerful and with one hit I fell. I couldn't even stand up to him. Before I die, grant me one last request, protect my daughter. She lives in Hinatao Sou. You once said you had to go to Hinata Sou anyway, so please do me this favor..." groaned Sho. The last of his vitality disappearing, he died.  
  
"I will do this last request, and I will make this perpetrator pay. Goodbye, Sho," said Ben.  
  
End of flashback  
  
"That's how it ended for Sho, attacked by an unknown figure. I thus journeyed here with two goals instead of the intended one," said Ben. He was gripping his sword like a lifeline. Any other sword, and it would have shattered to pieces.  
  
"I see," said Motoko.  
  
Ben decided that he had used enough time in explaining his past, so he charged. He didn't bother to blur, but his sword made up for it with an evil and purplish glow. He made a wide arc that anyone should have been able to dodge, but Motoko didn't. She was frozen in her spot as she watched the oncoming blade. It flew and hit her in chest.  
  
*Funny, I do not feel any pain. I actually feel relieved, as if a great burden has been lifted.* thought Motoko.  
  
"Ben, why is it that I am not hurt? You said I should've been afraid of it, but I instead feel relieved," said Motoko.  
  
"It is because Motoko, that slash isn't physically damaging. I can edit your memories and tamper with your mind with it. The ki used is incredibly unstable, so I have to use wide and unrefined slashes. If I hit though, I can make it so that you don't want to fight, or make you go insane. I decided to remove your fear of turtles just now instead of the original plan, which was to reveal your past to myself. I still don't know what happened however, so don't worry," said Ben.  
  
"Arigatou....If what you say is true then I cannot thank you enough. I believe we are done here, let's go inside," said Motoko.  
  
The two went down the stairs, leaning heavily on the railings. Unnoticed by them was Shinobu, who had been hidden underneath the balcony. She had gone to pick some flowers, but she had heard every word in their discussion. She sobbed quietly, but uncontrollably.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me this? I should've been told!" she cried. The feeling of betrayal was strangely absent, but there was a feeling of depression.  
  
Shinobu decided to soak her self in the hot springs. She went off to a secret area she had found a while back. It was secluded and out of view. She recounted the events and decided to have a talk with Ben herself on the matter. After about an hour of deep thought she left and got dressed. It was late morning now, but she still had time to make breakfast. Today was a Sunday, so most of the people slept in. She made her breakfast as usual, but she was unusual in her thinking during the process.  
  
"I wonder what I would say to Ben. He didn't--"  
  
"Didn't what Shinobu?" asked Ben walking in. He was wearing different clothing now. His attire consisted of a t-shirt and shorts.  
  
"Oh, Ben, Could I talk to you in private?" she asked.  
  
"Sure, after we make breakfast where should we go?" he asked.  
  
"We'll go to my room."  
  
"Alright, well, I'll help now."  
  
Ben was an intermediate cook, no where near Shinobu's caliber but not like Naru's contamination. The breakfast was made, and Shinobu called to the other people. They all ate breakfast, except Shinobu and Ben.  
  
"I wonder where they are?" asked Keitaro.  
  
"Don't worry, Urashima. Ben isn't like you, he won't take advantage of her," answered Motoko.  
  
"I see you seem to like him. But aren't you a little old to be dating fourteen year old boys when you're seventeen?" inquired Kitsune.  
  
"MOTOKO LIKES BEN! MOTOKO LIKES BEN!" cried Su.  
  
"Su, behave yourself!" scolded Naru. Su immediately mellowed out.  
  
"I think we should leave them alone. They shouldn't be pestered anyway," said Naru.  
  
"Alright, I agree with Naru," said Keitaro.  
  
"I think that's the closest thing we'll get to a public declaration of love from Keitaro!" screamed Kitsune. Sake bottles appeared in each of her hands and she poured everyone a glass, even Su and Sarah.  
  
"I didn't make a declaration of love, Kitsune!" screamed Keitaro. His body was ridged ad leaning towards her, eyes spouting water like a sprinkler. Further teasing followed for the young ronin.  
  
In Shinobu's room, Shinobu and Ben sat, sipping tea and eating their breakfast. They finished their food and put it on the side, then began talking.  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, I've finally named the chapters. I know I made some mistakes, but they're small enough to be negligible. It's really hard to continue this because of all the strings. Kanako fans don't fret, her plan will commence sometime soon. Once again, my e-mail is benjoewoo@yahoo.com and my AIM is TheCrimina1. Ja Ne! 


	5. The past is told and Kanako's plan is do...

"End of the Treasured Ones" A Love Hina fanfiction by Ben Woo  
  
Disclaimer: See Ch. 1  
  
"Ben, I heard you and Motoko talking earlier about what happened to my father. Why did you try to hide it from me, Ben? I've come to trust you, but now I don't know. I have a right to know the condition of my father. He may not have always been the positive influence in my life, but I love him nonetheless. Please, tell me why," said Shinobu. Ben could tell she was holding back an ocean of tears. He pulled her into a hug, which she immediately accepted. Shinobu started to cry into Ben's shoulder.  
  
"Shinobu, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. The reason was because I didn't want to add to your problems. While both of your parents were alive, they were divorced, you had to deal with the craziness of this house, you had to be overshadowed in your love for Keitaro and you still are, you've had to take on many of the chores in the house that Keitaro should be doing, and you have to now deal with the knowledge that Keitaro and I are going to go fight a being that will very likely kill us. I didn't want to add to your problems. I'm supposed to protect you, not damage you like I have. I'm incredibly sorry," Ben replied soothingly. Shinobu's crying had completely stopped. She was now just resting herself in Ben's arms.  
  
"I guess I overreacted, gomen. I'm sorry that I exploded in front of you like that," said Shinobu. Her voice was a little raspy from her crying, but Ben didn't notice, too busy thinking of what to do to comfort this girl in front of him.  
  
"Don't worry, I should have told you about this last night. Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have taken advantage of you while you were vulnerable! Gomen!" said Ben, stiffening.  
  
"Don't worry about it. I actually enjoyed that. Oh, I forgot to thank you for saving me last night! Gomen. I'll have to prepare an extra special dinner for you. Tee-hee," squeaked Shinobu. Her face was completely red. Ben couldn't tell if the red came from the crying or the blushing, but he didn't care.  
  
"It was no problem. I really can't stand people who would rob a girl of her dignity just for some quick cash. It really pissed me off. Why don't I teach you some self-defense? It might help you in case you run into something like that again and I'm not there."  
  
  
  
"Hai, I would like that. Um, we should go down now, shouldn't we?" asked Shinobu who was fidgeting with her apron.  
  
"Yeah, we've been up here for a little over an hour. Before we go." said Ben as he put his right arm around her waist and his left hand on the back of her head. He pulled her into a light kiss on the lips.  
  
"Th..thank you, Ben. Uh, sorry if I'm bad at this.Gomen!" apologized Shinobu who had clapped her hands together.  
  
"Haha, don't worry yourself over this. I owe you for all the cooking you've done for me. Besides, I really enjoy being with you, so it was enjoyed to the full potential. Didn't you say we needed to go, Shinobu?" asked Ben, though it was obvious he wanted to stay.  
  
"Hai, let's go." said an ignorant Shinobu.  
  
The two went down to the kitchen, unconsciously holding hands and standing unusually close for two "friends". In the kitchen was the whole Hinata Sou gang. Their reactions to Ben and Shinobu coming in were mixed. Motoko pulled out her katana and began praying about defeating some major evil for destroying innocence. Naru was fashioning some heavy duty "brass" knuckles. "Brass" was only the name though as Ben could tell those knuckles were probably made of something much harder. Continuing on, Keitaro was raising an eyebrow, Haruka was writing on a pad, Kitsune was starting to pull out sake bottles that were undoubtedly full. Su was looking in a bag labeled "ultimate weapon parts", and Sarah was sharpening the edges of her trademark throwing artifact. Ben and Shinobu both sported sweat drops at the sight.  
  
"Uh, are we going to war with some other dormitory?" Ben asked, hoping he was right.  
  
"You could put it that way, Ben." said Motoko who had finished her prayer.  
  
"BEN!!! HOW COULD YOU STEAL SHINOBU'S FIRST REAL KISS!!!" screamed Naru.  
  
"Ultimate Weapon prepped and ready!" cried Su, holding a cannon that looked VERY intimidating.  
  
"On three attack! Oh, #%@^ it..three!" cried Sarah.  
  
At that a laser was fired, a priceless artifact thrown, and two steamed women charged. Ben quickly picked up Shinobu and leapt out into the hall. That alone allowed him to escape two of the dangers. He would've just taken the hits to the face, but with Shinobu risking her being hit wasn't worth it. He rushed towards a window and jumped through it. Ben didn't count on the outside having a pit though. He barely dodged falling in while carrying Shinobu on his back.  
  
*What is going on here?* thought Ben. This sequence of events seemed planned. It reminded him of an incident from his travels.  
  
"Ben, they're coming!" cried Shinobu.  
  
*Interesting, this is exactly how it was back then. I bet the mastermind behind this is watching me from...there!* thought Ben as he looked toward a tree on the other side of the courtyard. Behind it he could see a figure. He couldn't tell who it was, but he didn't really care as he had other thoughts.  
  
*If I'm right, I'll have to go to the courtyard. There'll be traps that will force me to move there. Then, the girls will burst from the front and the stairs will be blocked off by a raised net. Feh, this is exactly like before. I'll just have to edit this, luckily I wasn't stripped of my sword then. Let's see if I can be the victor in this.* thought Ben as he bolted into the courtyard.  
  
As he suspected, traps activated and forced him to move to the courtyard. When he got there he looked to the left and saw the girls coming out, armed to the teeth. To his right, a steel wall was put up by Keitaro. The wall was longer to, stretching from ones side of the inn and making a half circle, ending at the other side of the in. It formed a confinement area with enemies that would most likely try to back the prey into the wall and then begin their tortures. Ben was surprised at the fact that a steel wall was used instead and that Keitaro was helping with the plan.  
  
"Keitaro, why are you helping them?" Ben asked, though he wasn't especially curious.  
  
"I'm helping for two things. I want a good laugh and it got me out of being caught in this. Please don't hold a grudge against me." pleaded Keitaro.  
  
"Do not worry, I already knew these things would happen once I saw the pit. This exact thing has already happened except the wall is steel now. I am concerned over the fact that you girls didn't involve Shinobu however." Said Ben, lowering Shinobu to the ground. Shinobu quickly stepped off, thankful that she was on solid ground.  
  
"We were going to involve her, but we decided not to as she might've given us away," said a voice. That voice was quickly put to a person as the figure that was behind the tree stepped out. It was none other than Kanako Urashima, the master manipulator of all Hinata Sou.  
  
"I see now that the tiger bears its fangs and claws. I do however, see a flaw. When this happened before, the plan only succeeded because I was taking with me an innocent, I was weakened, weakened, and I was without a weapon. This time however, I am not weakened and I do have a weapon. The only one here who could possibly hope to defeat me is Keitaro, but I have a cause and he doesn't so I would win. I hope you all realize your folly and cease this nonsense." said Ben, trying to achieve a commanding tone and barely succeeding.  
  
"You've gone through this before?" whispered Shinobu.  
  
"Yeah, I was staying at an inn when it was attacked. Most of the people evacuated but I found a girl lying on the floor. I grabbed her and put her on my back like you and carried her away. They trapped me the exact same way as Kanako did. I was backed into the net, but managed to get the girl out by pushing her under. She rolled away and I fought the assailants. They were mostly bandits, wanting to score a big heist. I took them out with my fists, but it would've been a lot better if I had my sword, which was in my room in the inn," answered Ben in a whisper. He was keeping watch of the girls so that if they moved, he could react.  
  
"Shinobu, get away from Ben, we'll handle it from here," said Kanako.  
  
"Yes, do as she says Shinobu. I myself am willing to co-operate because he has stolen your innocence by kissing you. He also deceives you in many ways. Remember this, he was willing to keep the truth of your father a secret, his powers are that of the dark, and he is a shrewd man!" declared Motoko. Ben flinched heavily at these words.  
  
"No! He didn't lie, we talked about the subject right after we made breakfast, and I don't care if he uses dark powers because he is using them for GOOD. He is not shrewd! He went out of his way to save me rather than go his usual way and risk endangering all of us!" retorted Shinobu. This response shocked everyone and even broke thorough Kanako's "steel visage".  
  
"I see, however, we must do this, for we must punish someone for this deception. My onii-san has been acquitted because he has apologized. Ben however, has not so he must receive the punishment. Onii-san!" shouted Kanako after regaining her composure. Keitaro quickly grabbed Shinobu from behind and dragged her over to the girls.  
  
"Don't worry, I've been in worse odds with Ben and we both survived. There's no need to worry. If he does get into a tight spot I'll intervene," whispered Keitaro. The tone of his voice made Shinobu realize that everything was okay and the bond between Ben and Keitaro was incredibly strong.  
  
"I believe in you, Urashima-senpai." Whispered Shinobu.  
  
As if on cue, the girls began their attacks. Su had pulled out a second "Ultimate Weapon" and handed it to Sarah. The two barraged Ben with glee. Kanako, Naru, and Motoko charged at Ben, weapons ready and waiting. Ben, the target, didn't look worried however. He had his sword and sheath out now, and was standing in the stance that he had used before. He was even smiling slightly.  
  
*Motoko isn't too much of a challenge. Kanako is probably the only one who needs to be knocked out. Naru can be dispatched simply by hitting her pressure points. Su and Sarah will just need to be disarmed. Here we go.*  
  
With that thought Ben began dodging the lasers that were heading towards him. He was scraped by a few, but those hits were on purpose to make it look like Ben was trying his best. He began spinning his sword and sheath. He held them out in front as close to side to side as he could to avoid cutting himself. The swords formed a sword of shield, and the lasers began ricocheting off it. The charging girls had to halt their charge and begin dodging instead of attacking.  
  
"Stop firing!" commanded Kanako. Su and Sarah quickly complied and ceased their firing.  
  
Now that the barraged had stopped, the three started charging again. Ben stopped spinning his blades and stood there. When the girls were within five feet he jumped into the air.  
  
*Oh to hell with it. I'll just knock all three of these girls out.*  
  
"I am Ben Woo! Fear my prowess!" shouted Ben as he slashed in a wide arc with his sword only.  
  
A shock wave pass from his sword and hit the charging girls who couldn't stop in time. All three flew all the way back to the front door area. Motoko was caught by Haruka while Keitaro caught Naru and Kananko.  
  
"Nice form, Ben, but do be more careful. These women are very important to me." said Keitaro. It was a light warning, but Ben knew that it wasn't a good idea to test the warning.  
  
"Ben! Are you alright!" cried Shinobu, running towards Ben.  
  
"Hai, I am. You shouldn't worry about me. I wasn't even scratched, but those girls will be sore for more than a few days." said Ben. At this Shinobu smiled.  
  
"Hai, let's go inside." said Shinobu.  
  
Everyone went inside, Keitaro and Haruka still carrying their respective people. They dropped them off in their rooms and joined Shinobu and Ben for a late lunch. It was late because of the little setup Kanako had made, but it was still enjoyed and unnoticed b the group.  
  
"Ben, since when were you and Shinobu an item?" asked Keitaro. The question made Ben and Shinobu self-conscious of their state and they blushed. Ben had sat right next to Shinobu and both of them were smiling and looking at each other.  
  
"Uh, what are you talking about?" asked Ben, glaring at Keitaro.  
  
"Urashima-senpai, don't say such things! W-we aren't dating!" said Shinobu, blushing the shade of red seen on red ribbons during red ribbon week.  
  
"Ah, but you are a cute couple, I believe that Haruka will approve, and I'm sure that you've already guessed that I approve," said Keitaro.  
  
"What!" cried Ben and Shinobu.  
  
The lunch went on, with Keitaro arguing with Ben and Shinobu over whether the latter two were a couple. Of course the two denied it, but inside they were uncertain.  
  
*Do I really like Shinobu? I do feel like I'm at ease around her? Do I want to be with her for the rest of my existence?* thought Ben. Other chaotic thoughts soon followed.  
  
*I think Ben is a great guy, but would I marry him? For that matter would I date him? He's saved me twice, so I know he must care a little, but I don't know if I l-l-love him. Maybe I should talk to him about this.* thought Shinobu, who was thinking the same things as Ben.  
  
*Man, is this how I am with Naru? Must be from what Kitsune's reactions are to my relationship with Naru. I'll have to set these two up sometime.* thought a clear-minded Keitaro. He began thinking of a way to set up the two people sitting in front of him, one his best friend and the other one a tenant that was as close to a divine being as Keitaro could guess.  
  
Author's Notes: If you want my e-mail and screen name on AIM, check any of the chapters before this one. Well, I think that the naming thing is down the tubes. I'm updating as frequently as possible, so I expected that I would update a lot before names came in, but so far I've only received one, so I'm going to start making names on my own. Please don't flame me because of this decision or the names I make up! Ja Ne! 


	6. The training begins, another decision is...

"End of the Treasured Ones" A Love Hina fanfiction by Ben Woo  
  
Disclaimer: See Ch. 1  
  
After lunch, the trio made their way to the balcony. Ben and Keitaro decided to finally train after a day and a half of procrastination. They fell into the same stance that they used the first night. Ben still used his sword and sheath combo, but Keitaro was wielding a giant gwan-do spear instead of the steel wires he had used before. The spear was red on the pole, and had a black blade. Carved into the blade on both sides were two Chinese dragons (I make a point to say Chinese because the American stereotype doesn't fit my thoughts). Each side featured the two dragons intertwining, ending with the two facing each other. One was a white dragon, while the other was a lighter shade of black than the actual blade.  
  
"Shinobu, would you do the honors? It just wouldn't do to have one of us cheat in the starting," asked Ben.  
  
"Hai. Ready...set..FIGHT!" said Shinobu.  
  
As soon as the 'f' in fight left her mouth the two warriors charged. The speed they charged at was very slow compared to what they would use on normal occasions.  
  
*I can't afford to use energy on moving fast. I'll have to rely on skill instead of raw speed and strength.* thought Ben. Keitaro's thoughts were almost a duplicate of Ben's.  
  
Two blades clashed, one belonging to a sword and the other a spear. The wielders were both incredibly powerful, but they didn't show it, for conserving their energy at the moment was more important. Ben saw that Keitaro was distracted with holding the sword, so he went for slamming his sheath at Keitaro's mid section. The attack caught Keitaro off-guard and sent him flying five feet away. Before he fell, Keitaro flipped to regain his balance. When he landed he spun the spear above his head, and threw it at Ben.  
  
*Oh crap, that thing's gonna curve up when it gets here. I'll have to block-* thought Ben as he raised his sword and sheath up to form an 'x'.  
  
The sword collided with the spear and made a resounding 'clang'. The spear didn't break Ben's guard, but knocked him down. The spear flew back at Keitaro, who caught it in a dash towards Ben. Keitaro then began spinning the spear over his head while charging, giving a battle cry as he went. Ben rolled back into a crouch position, weapons at the ready. He saw Keitaro charging, and thought of what he would do next.  
  
*Darn, with him spinning the spear I can't jump, looks like I'll have to side step.* thought Ben.  
  
Ben blurred and dashed to Keitaro's right side. There was a shadow left behind by Ben, and Keitaro attacked it, moving too quickly to be able to stop from doing so. Ben quickly slashed with his sword and sheath twice and then ended with two twin ki blasts. The blasts were actually slashed that had continued from the points. Keitaro took the hits well as he took the brunt of the melee attacks and rolled with the ki attacks. This way, he at least avoided major damage.  
  
*Damn, I didn't think he was this good. Well, I should stop fooling around. Time to bring in the real thing.* thought Keitaro  
  
Keitaro's spear began transforming into the green and yellow sword he wielded before (see ch. 1 for description). Not wanting to let the opportunity to attack escape, Ben sheathed his sword and brought out his right hand. A ball of black ki formed, and was released at Keitaro. There was an explosion, and after the small scale mushroom cloud cleared, Keitaro stood with his sword in a blocking position. Ben was surprised by this, and Keitaro exploited this momentary surprise. He dashed in and slashed Ben's chest, sending him flying into the railing.  
  
"Ben! Sempai, please go easier on him!" cried Shinobu, who was obviously concerned for Ben's condition.  
  
"Shinobu, don't worry about Ben, he's a lot tougher than before so I'm probably not hurting him. I see that you have a crush on Ben now, however. I'm glad that you have decided to start checking guys your age," teased Keitaro.  
  
"I d-d-don't have a c-c-crush on Ben," stuttered Shinobu.  
  
"Keitaro, please stop teasing Shinobu and fight. This isn't gossip time ya know? We only have about two more days, maybe three," said Ben as he got up with his now transformed sword.  
  
"Well, now we have our best out, so let's let the fireworks fly!" exclaimed Keitaro.  
  
The two ran at each other, weapons raised high. They slashed and countered each others' blades. Their blades interlocked, they resorted to another method of attacking...head butting. Ben seemed to have a stronger head as he wasn't recoiling as much as Keitaro. That didn't mean he wasn't getting hurt though. Both of them were seeing white spots in their vision after about ten bashes. The two combatants broke apart, and began circling each other. Ben produced four kunai with his left hand and threw them at Keitaro. Forced to dodge, Keitaro lept into the air. Ben had planned for this, and pulled out more, tossing them in his flight path. Keitaro twirled in the air, deflecting the kunai. Seeing Keitaro would be disoriented after the spin, Ben released a blast from his sword. The blast was wide enough so that Keitaro couldn't dodge, but was weak because it was so wide. Keitaro was hit by the center of the blast, taking the most possible damage. He fell to the ground with a thud. As Keitaro got up, he launched thing wires from his sleeves. The wires were seen by Ben, but he couldn't do much but try to slash the incoming wires. He succeeded for the most part, but was caught in a tangle, his left arm ensnared along with his right leg. Keitaro smiled, seeing his prey caught in his attack. Keitaro pulled the strings tight onto Ben's limbs, and struck the strings with his sword. The vibration traveled from the beginning to the end, cutting Ben's flesh. Ben gritted his teeth to keep from screaming, but the expression on his face made up for the lack of sound. The burst of blood also gave away the sign of pain.  
  
"Ben! Sempai please stop!" pleaded Shinobu.  
  
"Hehe, don't worry Shinobu, as I said before, he isn't in danger. This is just sparring." answered Keitaro, though doubt was evident on his face.  
  
"Well, you've certainly had your fun. Let's see what happens next." said Ben chuckling.  
  
Ben broke the strings suddenly. This brought another burst of blood, which surprised Keitaro, who wondered how much discipline it must have taken to reach the point of self mutilation to escape. Ben charged in ducking, with his right arm holding his sword to his back diagonally. He brought his left arm to the hilt of the sword and slashed hard. Keitaro brought his sword up to block, but it was no use. Ben broke Keitaro's guard and pummeled him into the wall, unconscious.  
  
"See Shinobu, I'm not hurt, just scratched. Keitaro though, is going to feel it when he regains his consciousness," said Ben with a smile.  
  
"Hai, but did you have to knock him out?" asked Shinobu.  
  
"Well, it was pay back for cutting me up, so yeah. Anyway, I appreciate you trying to help me, but please don't do it. This is just training and we need to get better or else we have less of a chance of winning. Please do me this, don't interfere if possible," said Ben.  
  
"Hai, I will then. Congratulations on your victory," said Shinobu.  
  
She walked up to Ben and hugged him. While hugging she gave him a peck on the cheek. Both blushed after, but found relief in the fact that no one was present. The two stayed there, hugging for about two minutes, and then picked up Keitaro and left. They dropped him off in his room, laying him on his futon face up and under the blankets It was too early to start dinner, but too late to eat a snack, so the two decided to start their self-defense lesson. They went to the balcony and cleaned up. Then they started.  
  
"Okay Shinobu, this is our first lesson. I want you to first try to hit me. I'll move slowly so that you can see me. I just want to see the extent of your abilities right now," said Ben.  
  
"Hai, Ben-sensei," giggled Shinobu. At this Ben frowned.  
  
With a 'kyah' Shinobu ran to Ben. She was incredibly slow compared to Keitaro, but she was fast, all things considered. Ben sides stepped to the left, dodging the punch Shinobu launched at him. Shinobu tried to kick him to keep him distracted, but only succeeded in tripping herself while bringing her leg up. Ben caught Shinobu, but also tripped. The two fell to the floor in an awkward position. Of course at this precise moment Motoko comes up for her afternoon practice. She sees Ben in a sensual position with Shinobu, and immediately forms ideas. Without bothering to ask what happened, she charges, katana raised. In the kanrinin's room, Keitaro wakes up. He has a ringing in his ears, he can see white spots everywhere, and he is sore all over. He feels for his glasses, and brings them up to his eyes. His first semi-decent vision is of Naru, his not so secret love interest. She has a concerned look on her face as she is soaking a towel in what appeared to be warm water. Naru didn't seem to have noticed Keitaro's return to the conscious.  
  
*How sweet of her to do this. I'll have to thank her.* thought Keitaro.  
  
"Thanks for being here with me, Naru," said Keitaro with a smile.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Keitaro. I bet you would try to do the same thing for me," said Naru with a smile. The 'try' didn't slip by Keitaro.  
  
"I see you have a strong faith in my ability to aid ailments. I guess it can't be helped, being as though you opinion of me before wasn't exactly good," sighed Keitaro.  
  
"Well, if you weren't always acting so perverted, you wouldn't have made such a bad impression on us. Only Shinobu and Mutsumi don't think you're perverted, and that's because they're both too innocent and naïve," said Naru.  
  
"I suppose that's what you would think, after your past experiences with me. I wish to apologize for my past accidents however," said Keitaro.  
  
"Well, I suppose I can forgive you, though I shouldn't because of the numerous times you've done perverted things. You say it's an accident, but you've done it so many times I can't tell anymore. I'm sorry if this sounds like you're the enemy of all women," said Naru. Her expression had softened as she wiped Keitaro's forehead with the warm and moist towel.  
  
"Arigatou gozaimasu, Narusegawa. I'm glad you have forgiven me, now all I need is the forgiveness of the others."  
  
"That will be hard to achieve with some of the tenants like Motoko. The others may do other things. For example Kitsune might try to start an inquisition over this change in behavior Su might decide to do painful tests on your brain, and Shinobu might stop cooking for you personally, which could hinder your regenerative abilities."  
  
"Hai hai, that's true. I do believe that they will avoid rash conduct, however. I guess I should get going then." finished Keitaro.  
  
As Keitaro stood up he accidentally brushed his nose against Naru's, and she jerked back, which led to her tripping and eventually falling onto Keitaro in a compromising position. This, to say the least, wasn't a good start for Keitaro and was probably an omen to not request what he was planning to.  
  
"If you're going to ask for forgiveness, you might want to avoid these kinds of things."  
  
"Yeah, but as you can see, this was totally not my fault."  
  
"True, but although I realize and acknowledge it, the others may not."  
  
"Yeah, well, I best be going now!" said Keitaro after regaining composure and getting out of the previous position.  
  
On the balcony Motoko lies unconscious in some charred clothing. Ben is sitting next to Shinobu, who is sitting next to Motoko and treating her wounds.  
  
"Did you have to go so hard on her, Ben?" asked Shinobu.  
  
"Well, I couldn't help it being as though she was berserk. I don't think I left any future scars on her though. Let's drop her off in her room and go." suggested Ben.  
  
"Hai. Then I'll start dinner."  
  
"I'll help. No if's, and's, or but's." said Ben before Shinobu could react.  
  
The two dragged Motoko to her room. Ben laid her on her futon and left with Shinobu. Along the way, they meet with Keitaro and Naru, who had decided to find the closest tenant to talk to.  
  
"Ah, Shinobu, can we talk?" asked Keitaro.  
  
"Sure, if Ben can come." replied Shinobu.  
  
"Uh, I guess, though I wasn't planning this to happen. Since you're bringing Ben, I'll bring Naru" said Keitaro. With that, the four left to Keitaro's room.  
  
Author's Notes: I forgot to mention this in the last two chapters, but the naming of chapters 1-4 were mostly based on suggestions from a fellow writer named Neogene. Go and check his fics, the screen name I mentioned is his ff.net account. I also have a list of my pre-readers. I have two!  
  
Pre-readers: Koibito Chris Ta 


	7. A step for the two trainees

"End of the Treasured Ones" A Love Hina fanfiction by Ben Woo  
  
Disclaimer: See Ch. 1  
  
Author's Notes: If you haven't been keeping track of the timeline, then don't worry, I have done it for you! So far, only one FULL day has passed. When I said that they had three or four days I wasn't including the night Ben came. The story thus far is still on the second day. It is a little bit after lunch. On with the story!  
  
**************************************************************************** *********  
  
The quartet went to the kanrinin's room. They assembled at the kotatsu to keep warm, and began the conversation that would inevitably follow.  
  
"Okay, Ben, your presence was optional, so you can ignore what I am about to say if you want. In fact, this has nothing to do with you, I think. Well, on we go. Shinobu, gomenasai. I'm eternally sorry for all the times I've done 'perverted things' such as tripping and falling on top of you or something like that. I'm going to apologize so that I can feel relieved at this prospect when I go to fight. I'm not demanding your forgiveness, but please, tell me soon about your decision, for time is of the essence. I only have one more day, two if I'm lucky. Please don't feel obligated to just say you forgive me because I'm going to fight. I won't despise you if you say no, but I hope for your forgiveness, for you have helped me much along the way. That is all really," said Keitaro after drawing in a long breath.  
  
"S-s-sempai, of course I forgive you. I admit, I used to have this large crush on you. It wasn't too secret, but you didn't notice anyway--"  
  
"Nani!" shouted Keitaro.  
  
"Please, let me finish. I used to want to do everything to impress you, but I clearly saw you only had eyes for Naru-sempai, so I've given up on you. I can forgive you for those acts because I know they were accidents, so don't worry about having no response. I think I've moved on now. Arigato, sempai, for bringing this up." thanked a teary-eyed Shinobu. Ben hugged her to comfort her, and managed to prevent Shinobu from bursting into tears.  
  
"Shinobu, I never knew about your feelings, and I regret having hurt you, indirectly or directly by doing what I did. I am thankful for your forgiveness, and wish you luck in your love life. I'm sure that you'll find a man of true mettle to be with." said Keitaro.  
  
"Keitaro, if I could add something," asked Naru.  
  
"Go ahead. Your welcome to. Ben, if you have anything to say then you too," said Keitaro with a gesture as if to say 'talk'.  
  
"Hai, Shinobu, I am sorry too if I hurt you anyway. I knew this baka had feelings for me, but I ignored them on purpose for his study's sake. I'm sorry if this has been trouble because you may have thought that I was just leading him. Once again, gomenasai." apologized Naru. It was clearly hard for Naru to say this, as she had to choke back sobs. Keitaro hugged Naru to comfort her, and she immediately calmed down.  
  
"I don't know if what I'm about to say is appropriate, but we are in depression. I'm glad that you guys have revealed all this to each other. Keitaro, I never knew that within the confines of Hinata Sou, there were so many emotional ties. If I knew this then I would've just gone it alone. I knew you would forget, so that presented me with the option, but I chose to acquire your help. Now I realize that if I let you die, more lives than just our own will suffer. I shouldn't have to risk that. I know it is suicidal to do so, but I'll undertake this task by myself. I'm thankful for your more than generous hospitality, and I hope you live well. This is going to be the last--"  
  
SLAP!!! The slap rang out crisp and clear. The occupants in the room knew that the slap had to hurt, especially Ben. Shinobu sat there, her red palm still in the air. Keitaro and Naru were shocked and had dropped their jaws. Ben's head was cocked to the side, a small red hand print on his left cheek. It was giving a stinging sensation to him, but the actual person who had done it was more shocking than the slap was painful. Ben slowly turned his face to face Shinobu, and touched his cheek.  
  
"Why, Shinobu? Wouldn't you want to have your sempai alive and well rather than have him take the chance of dying? Why? Tell me why, please," asked Ben, though it was obvious from his unfocused eyes he was still in shock.  
  
"Ben, how could you disregard your life so easily? Everyone should relish the fact they live. Life is only lived by someone once. You can only experience events once, so you should hold them in high regard! You however, don't care about your life and are willing to sacrifice it! You know you'll die fighting this 'occurrence' if you don't get sempai's help. Why don't you take his help? You might live, rather than die no matter what fighting alone! You don't have to do it alone, you don't have to-" cried Shinobu in-between sobs. It got to the point she couldn't even continue speaking. She buried her face in Ben's chest, and began pounding on it.  
  
"Shinobu, I do enjoy and love life for all its glory. I don't want to endanger other peoples' right to enjoy that glory however. Ketiaro is a greater man, and deserves to live. Everyone does, even the wicked. I wish to cut the losses, so I'll do it alone. If only I die, the effects are small. I have no clue where or who my parents or family relatives are, I don't have many friends, and I have no significant other. Keitaro however, has a family that loves him, has tenants who love and respect him, and whether he admits it or not, he has someone he loves and loves him back. It should be he who lives. That is why I wish to fight alone," said Ben.  
  
"You're wrong! You're not going to die leaving no one affected!" said an angered Keitaro.  
  
"Keitaro-" said Naru.  
  
"No! Ben, I can't believe you would do this! You know as well as I that both of us have to fight. I know you could just try that last resort, but remember, it's the LAST RESORT, not the first thing to do when you're finished fighting. If I'm there then we may not even have to use it, which would mean that no one would dead. It's better to live than die, Ben. I'm going to go whether you want me to or not. You can try to stop me, but even if you do defeat me, you won't have the strength to beat the being then." said Keitaro. Ben had been keeping a poker face the entire time.  
  
"He's right, Ben. Keitaro wouldn't let you sacrifice yourself just so could live. Could you imagine the guilt he would go through?" asked Naru.  
  
"Ben, don't try to go by yourself, please! Please,p-p-please..I want you to live, so please do me this..." sobbed Shinobu.  
  
"Minna-sama, I believe I will reconsider. I hadn't thought about the things you have told me. I just wanted to do this solely because my leaving Hinata Sou would end the disturbance I have started. Gomenasai for troubling you. If you would, Keitaro and Naru, please leave. I would like to speak to Shinobu personally." requested Ben.  
  
"Of course, let's go, Narusegawa." said Keitaro as he half dragged Naru.  
  
"Ben, don't do anything perverted!" commanded Naru as she left.  
  
Once outside, Keitaro faced Naru, and kissed her full on the lips in the hall, not caring whether anyone saw or not. Naru was shocked at tried to get away at first, but she soon got into it. The passionate kiss lasted for an eternity on the fantasy clock, but actually didn't last as long in the real world. Breaking off, Keitaro put his finger to Naru's lips.  
  
"Narusegawa, please don't hate me for that and what I'm about to say. I know this is incredibly sudden, but the reality of the situation has brought me to say this. I'm in love with you. I had my doubts about you being the promised girl in the beginning, but now I don't care. Even if you aren't the promised girl, I don't care because I love you. I would abandon her for the chance to be with you forever. Aishiteru, Narusegawa," said Keitaro.  
  
"Keitaro....I don't know what to say really. I think I could love you, but this sudden declaration is a little much. I need some time to see my feelings about you. Gomenasai, I know you don't have too much time left but I really need it. I don't want to rush and have us ending up divorcing after we marry like Shinobu's parents. I'm sure I love you though, because every time I look at you I feel hot. Whenever you do something perverted I wish for it to continue, but I know that if I let that happen everything would become more complicated. I also couldn't distract you from your goal to get into Toudai. Don't worry Keitaro, I'm pretty sure that I love you. I just need some time to make sure." said Naru.  
  
"Of course, Narusegawa. I respect your decision, and look forward to the day you reveal your decision. I believe that we should move now, Ben and Shinobu do want their privacy after all."  
  
"Hai, let's go. Oh, you don't have to call me Narusegawa now." said Naru.  
  
"Ok, I'll call you.....honey." smiled Keitaro.  
  
"Not too original, but ok," was his response.  
  
Inside Keitaro's room, Shinobu and Ben sat, Ben hugging Shinobu as she leaned on him in bliss. The moment ended though, when Ben began speaking.  
  
"Shinobu, I will do as you say. I'm going to fight along with Keitaro now, so please don't worry yourself over it. I do want to tell you something however. I think I'm in love with you. I've only been here a short time, and I know that our age differences are huge, but I still believe I love you. I would like to state that in one phrase still. Aithisteru, Shinobu. I ask that you decide if you love me or not. I will not hold it against you if you choose not. Please take your time." said Ben.  
  
"Ben, I am overjoyed you feel that way, for I think I am the same. I also know we are incredibly different in age, but I also don't care. I want you to stay, if for nothing else, then for me. I don't know how I could go on without you as an anchor for my life. Aishiteru, Ben." replied Shinobu, being bold and pulling Ben into a deep kiss.  
  
The kiss, like Naru's and Keitaro's, was passionate and seemed forever, but ended quickly. The two stared into each others' eyes, simply looking and enjoying the others presence.  
  
"Shionbu, may I call you koibito from now on?" inquired Ben after they broke apart for air.  
  
"Hai, of course." said Shinobu.  
  
"I think we need to go prepare dinner. I feel as if I haven't been doing my best to train. Yesterday I just sparred against Motoko, and today was the only time I sparred against Keitaro. I'm not getting any good training!" complained Ben.  
  
"Hey! What about our lesson? Oh yeah, we should prepare dinner now, let's go." said Shinobu.  
  
"Well, teaching you only raises my leadership and experience at teaching, which is good for the future but not for the battle. Okay, let's go." said Ben.  
  
"Matte. Let me change first," said Shinobu, pulling a skirt out of her closet.  
  
"Ok, go ahead," said Ben as he left.  
  
After Shinobu changed and came out, the two walked with to the kitchen hand in hand. Inside, they decided to make a special dish for everyone out of their happiness. Ben decided to make exotic Chinese food, mostly using beef an rice in some way. Shinobu was more modest with the beef and made some fancy Japanese dishes, using fish more instead. When their efforts came to an end, they congratulated each other for helping and called the others. The other tenants and the kanrinin were surprised, to say the least. Up until now they had known Ben could cook and that Shinobu was good, but the meal, no feast, before them was almost beyond imagination. The beef dishes would make even the most strict of vegetarians' mouths water. The group found out Ben made these dishes, as Shinobu made a point of it. Ben point out the exquisite fish dishes as Shinobu's creations. The group began eating with a speed hardly matched by rockets. Unnoticed by them however, was the sight of Ben and Shinobu smiling as they left the room to head for the roof. On the roof Ben laid down, Shinobu laying on top of him with her back on him. He wrapped his arms around her, for warmth or for the sake of holding her neither knew, but didn't care. They sat, watching the stars and thinking about their new relationship. They soon fell asleep there, in each others' arms. After the grand dinner, the tenants and kanrinin cleaned up and went to their rooms. Naru came into Keitaro's room later that night.  
  
"Kei-kun, uh, can I call you that?" asked Naru.  
  
"Of course, honey. Funny how you use that, Mutsumi used to say that," answered Keitaro.  
  
"Yeah, true. Keitaro, I don't want you to see me eager, but I can't help but say this. I think I'm in love with you too. After you left I began thinking, really thinking that is, about our relationship and where you stand. I've realized that a live without you is not worth living, and I want you to know that. I love you, Keitaro Urashima." said Naru.  
  
"I'm glad you feel that way, honey. Now, where to from here?" asked Keitaro, quite clueless.  
  
"I think we should just develop from here. Would you mind if I slept with you in your room tonight?" asked Naru shyly.  
  
"O-of course. I wo-wouldn't mind at all." said a blushing Keitaro. He went to his closet and pulled out a spare futon and set it up.  
  
"Uh, I meant sleep in the same fu-futon. I know it's a little fast, but I just want to see what it-it's like, sleeping with a guy and all." said Naru with some stuttering.  
  
"Oh, uh okay." said Keitaro as he put away the futon, settled into his futon, and made room for Naru.  
  
"Arigato, Kei-kun." said Naru as she slipped in with Keitaro.  
  
It was a tight fit but they still fit in. When they embraced each other however, there was plenty of room. They soon fell asleep, like the other tenants of Hinata Sou. Unnoticed by anyone, Shinobu and Ben were still up on the roof, sleeping in each others' embrace.  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, I'm really pressed for the last and final day, but I'll persevere. I know that most people think this fic will end with the occurrence's end, but that may not be true. I've been thinking about continuing, but I need some feedback on this dilemma: continue past the occurrence in this series or start a new one and call it a sequel? Please R&R. Ja Ne!  
  
Pre-readers: koibito Chris Ta 


	8. More of the past revealed, the final day...

"End of the Treasured Ones" A Love Hina fanfiction by Ben Woo  
  
Disclaimer: See Ch. 1  
  
Author's Notes: I have not idea if washing someone's back in Japan is a sign of love, but after reading some other fics, I believe it is, so I'm going to use it in this chapter. Sorry if that spoiled a part for you. I promise it's still worth your while to read this. This is now the third day, hehe. Finally.  
  
The morning came in cold, which wasn't noticed well by the occupants of Hinata Sou, but certainly was by the would be occupants outside. Ben and Shinobu were trying to get into the front door, but were locked out, surprisingly enough.  
  
"Hey, koibito, when did you guys get a lock? I thought doors in Japan weren't locked usually." said Ben as he tried to open the door without breaking it.  
  
"Uh, well, I think that Naru put it there in case a 'more perverted than Keitaro' man came." Said Shinobu while shivering. Ben had given her his shirt when he notice she was cold before. The fact that Shinobu was wearing a skirt canceled whatever warmth the shirt brought, however. Still, she was better off than Ben who was only in his shorts and trying to open but not break the door.  
  
"Shinobu, I don't think we can get in without doing some damage. I'm sure that considering the time and the people we're dealing with, we'll be relatively safe. Stay back though," said Ben.  
  
Ben rubbed his hands together as if in preparation, and then jammed his fingers into the wooden doors. His fingers went right through. He slowly pulled his fingers apart, opening the doors with as much silence as possible. It just wouldn't do to see Ben half nude with Shinobu who was wearing his shirt and only a skirt in the morning. The areas Ben pulled at began snapping, the wood giving out. His hands were in the middle, so the middle was becoming weaker while the top and bottom were staying the same. This was going to be a problem, as Ben didn't want to have to completely tear out the twin doors. Fate chose to ignore Ben's wants however, and made the top and bottom parts of the doors stay. The doors were broken in half, as the middle area gave out and Ben's hands passed right through it. He caught the falling pieces with his arms however, so that the sound made would be minimized. Shinobu was shocked at Ben's strength, even though she had already seen some of his more extreme powers.  
  
"Ok, we're in, let's go. Dang, it's freezing in here. I can't stand this cold!" said Ben standing there.  
  
"Why don't you go in? You said it was freezing out here." said a confused Shinobu.  
  
"I'm waiting for you to go in. Even though it's cold, ladies should go in first if present." responded Ben, whose teeth had started chattering by now.  
  
"Oh, arigato gozaimasu, Ben." said Shinobu, entering. Ben quickly followed in and tried to piece the doors in while making them look undamaged. Eventually the doors came too look almost undamaged, the holes in the door still there.  
  
The couple walked up the stairs and into Shinobu's room. Ben didn't want to go to his room since Shinobu's was closer. Shinobu began getting her toiletries ready and began leaving.  
  
"You're going to bathe now?" asked Ben.  
  
"Hai, I bet we're really dirty from being outside for so long. You should go and take a bath too, you aren't exactly clean either I bet." said Shinobu with a smirk.  
  
"Hai, but how would you know? You're dirty yourself." Ben shot back.  
  
"But I slept on top of you while you slept on the roof, so I'm probably cleaner than you by a fair margin. Tee-hee, dirty boy." Giggled Shinobu.  
  
"Right, well, I'll go bathe too. I noticed that you girls set up a 'mens bath' which consists of a large bucket that we fill with water and bathe in. I'm pretty sure that's dirtier than me, all things considered." said Ben.  
  
"Hai, we didn't want Urashima-sempai to come an 'peek' on us, so we did that. I don't think they're up though, so you can come bathe with me in the womens bathing area," said Shinobu, with a hint of a smile.  
  
*She's getting naughty like Kitsune, must be from how long she's lived with her. I couldn't imagine she would say that out loud to someone, though. I'm glad however.* thought Ben.  
  
"Okay, let's go, koibito." said Ben getting up.  
  
"What about your bathing things? Don't you need those?" asked Shinobu curiously.  
  
"Why bother? I could just steal yours for today, hehe." said Ben with a foolish grin.  
  
"H-hai, you can, Ben. I d-don't mind," said Shinobu blushing red as a rose.  
  
The two left for the baths, not noticing the pair of eyes watching them. Kitsune really enjoyed this sort of thing. She had heard the door break open, as her room was decently close to the door and she was a light sleeper, a secret she kept well hidden. She followed the two lovers while hiding. She wanted to see things play out without being interrupted. She was liking that idea too. Ben and Shinobu proved to be quite the naughty pair in her mind.  
  
*Bathing together already? Even using the same toiletries? My, these two move fast. I wonder why Keitaro and Naru don't move this fast.* thought Kitsune as she followed in silence.  
  
Ben and Shinobu reached the baths and began unchanging. Shinobu faced the other way as Ben did the same. They were moving a little quickly, but they wouldn't go full speed. They crept into the hot spring, and began to relax.  
  
"Ah, I've always loved a good bath in a hot spring. Showers aren't quite up to par with it. They only hold speed over hot springs, but that can be sacrificed," said Ben as he slid into the spring up to his chin.  
  
"Hai, I totally agree." Said Shinobu, only sinking to her neck.  
  
Kitsune watched from the doorway, out of the two lovers' sights. She was shocked that Shinobu wasn't being shy and even opened her eyes a little.  
  
*I guess she isn't so shy when she opens up after all. Maybe that's all Naru and Keitaro need to move further.* thought Kitsune happily. She had by now closed her slit-like eyes.  
  
Kitsune watched as Ben moved toward Shinobu and eventually worked into kissing her. Shinobu didn't seem to be surprised at all, or at least she seemed that way to Kitsune as she saw Shinobu begin to kiss back with a ferocity she had never seen before in the young girl. Kitsune wondered if anything was going on under the water, but didn't move away from her spot for fear of giving her self away. Ben and Shinobu weren't doing anything under the water except holding each others' hands. The thought of doing something more had never crossed their minds, which would've disappointed Kitsune had she known. The kiss ended, to the chagrin of all there, but it had to for the two participants to breathe. The two lay there in the bath, still holding hands. Both of their eyes were closed, and they seemed like angels at peace. Motoko might have described this as meditation in its 'bathing form' or something along those lines. This was what Kitsune thought, which usually meant it wasn't true to other peoples' thoughts.  
  
"Hey, koibito, what should we tell the others? I'm sure that they'll be shocked and angered that I've captured the heart of the resident cook and purest soul." said Ben.  
  
*He's already calling her koibito?! How could I not notice this was happening?!* thought screamed Kitsune. Her eyes were wide open and pouring plastered tears, her hair frizzled to a small extent, and her right fist held up (she was seeing it while leaning on the left side of the bathing area doorway).  
  
"Well, I don't think we should tell them quite yet. The shock might interfere with Urashima-sempai's and Naru's relationship. They might think that they're being slow and rush, which wouldn't be good. We should tell everyone after the occurrence or after Naru and Urashima-sempai confess." said Shinobu while she got the toiletries.  
  
"I see, good choice. I agree to your decision. Here, let me wash your back." said Ben, who grabbed a towel and walked over to take the toiletries away from Shinobu and then went about picking up the necessary things to accomplish his task.  
  
"Hai, arigato," said Shinobu who sat on a chair and waited.  
  
Ben began lathering the soap, and then began soaping Shinobu's back. He noticed how it was completely devoid of scars, a quality he hoped would stay with her forever. He also noticed how it didn't seem pale compared to her normally visible skin, another quality that he valued. He finished the lathering, and moved on to scrubbing her back. He washed her off and then grabbed the shampoo. With it in hand he lathered Shinobu's hair, washing it out just like he did with her back.  
  
"Um, I'll return the favor," said Shinobu.  
  
"Okay, but don't be surprised at what you see, okay?" said Ben as he sat in a nearby chair.  
  
Shinobu was confused at what he meant, but when she was about to wipe his back with soap, she found out. Ben had a lot of scars. Most of them were small, but still there. The most glaring was an 'x' on his back. One line went from his right shoulder to his left hip, and the other line went from below his left armpit to his right side. Shinobu was shocked that Ben had this scar.  
  
"H-how did you get this scar? It's huge!" cried Shinobu, dropping her soap and forgetting about it. Unknown to the two, Kitsune had seen the 'x' scar too, missing the smaller ones because of the distance, but she was surprised as well and as much.  
  
"Well, since you're the only one here, I'll explain. Please keep this a secret from the others. Only Keitaro knows about this right now, but you'll know too. It was during the time Keitaro and I traveled together. I guess it was like the movies, because we were almost completely broke. We had been traveling for months and our food ran out. We had to hunt almost constantly to avoid suffering malnutrition. We still moved around the country however, and managed to come to a small town. This town was being manipulated behind the scenes by a small faction that had the goal of conquering Japan. We were in China at the time, so it made sense. We decided to help the villagers in exchange for supplies. We had made this deal with the mayor, who was at the time one of the members vying for control of the village. He needed the faction out of the way to achieve this, however. We should have realized this was a trap when we noticed that the villagers hadn't been noticing and helping us and that the mayor never told us his name. We defeated all the faction members, meaning we knocked them out and got the police to drag them away. The night after the police left, the mayor came in to our room with two hired me and tried to kill us..  
  
flashback  
  
"Ha! You thought that I would actually keep my end?! Foolish outsiders!" cried the evil mayor.  
  
"You bastard! Why would you have us do this and try to kill us? Why not just let us go?" demanded a much younger looking Keitaro. Ben was next to him looking the same as he did now while telling the story. Unlike Keitaro in the flashback however, Ben is sitting, calm with his head down.  
  
"Because, I can't let it get out to the villagers that I went for aid from outsiders. It would shame my name and they would replace me. I want the power to rule this village, so I must remove any obstacle, be it big or small. I'm thankful for your help, but I cannot let you live now. Adieu." said the corrupted mayor.  
  
As he said this he walked off, snapping his fingers. The two men with him took that as their cue and began spraying bullets at the two 'captives'. The bullets raced at speeds incredible to normal people, but they were slow for Ben. He had jerked his head up, an insane smile showing, and leapt at the bullets. His arms morphed into dogs and ate the bullets. The one that passed the dogs were dodged by Ben. The hired men were scared out of their pants, and continued emptying their clips. When they ran out they found themselves pinned to the ground by Ben's 'arms'. Needless to say it was an uncomfortable position. His shirt suddenly exploded, and the freshly made cuts on his back were revealed to the world. Two bullets had grazed Ben's back, but had made cuts because of Ben's speed. The cut was bleeding profusely, but Ben smiled, looked at it, and then turned to the goons.  
  
"Hehehe..I should kill you right here for this. I can't stand being lied to. It's not your fault however, so you two will live to see another day. Take heart of my warning: leave and never cause anyone harm." said Ben. The facial expression on his face and the tone he said it scared both the men and Keitaro. Another frightening aspect was Ben's hair, it had grown from just a few inches to down to a little past his waste. It was jet black, and it was easy to become unfocused while looking at it.  
  
"S-s-sure sir. We'll g-g-go n-now." said one of the men as they both struggled to get free.  
  
Ben let the two men leave, and turned back to his original form. All of his original features were back except now he had a big smirk.  
  
"So, was that an act there to scare them $H!TLE$$?" asked Keitaro.  
  
"Yeah, I did the whole thing with the calm thing as an act. I wanted to act insane for once. It felt good too, but it's not a very efficient way to fight." said Ben.  
  
"Well, we should get the mayor for this. If he wanted to just control the town I would have turned the other way. Now though, I'll have to stop his little plan." said Keitaro with a grim determination.  
  
"Well, you didn't say 'we', which surprised me, but I'll still help." said Ben.  
  
"Hehe, I didn't think you would want to help such a small village considering how we haven't been helped at all. Arigato," said Keitaro. The two angered souls marched out of their room and towards the mayor's house, where the mayor undoubtedly was, smoking an expensive and freshly imported Cuban cigar.  
  
end of flashback  
  
.and we defeated the mayor in a sorts. Keitaro wanted to mutilate his body, but I came up with a better idea. I just said that we'll cut out his tongue so he couldn't tell anymore lies. I was a bit cut throat at the time, so that's why I suggested it. Keitaro was the same, and agreed wholeheartedly, not even thinking about it surprisingly. He has sure changed, as have I. Well, at least I hope I've changed. Well, now you know, hehe." finished Ben. His throat was dry from the long revelation and he took a little break from talking. Shinobu took this pause as a time to start talking.  
  
"I see, well that does make sense. You two did live on your own for a while. I"m just gald you're not that way now. Tee-hee, if you were that would be so scary!" giggled Shinobu. Ben mock glared her and decided he had enough of a break from talking.  
  
"Are you sure?" asked Ben as he suddenly grabbed her, brought her down, and promptly held her there while sitting next to her.  
  
*She probably can't handle my weight, so this is better, especially for her healt.* thought Ben.  
  
"Ah! Ben, get off! You're being mean! Hehehe, I didn't know you were so small!" said Shinobu, though she wasn't even facing the right direction to see and Ben was wearing a towel. Ben didn't notice this however and let go out of surprise. Shinobu grabbed him and pinned him on his back while she lay on top.  
  
"W-what d-do you me-mean I'm small?" asked a nervous Ben. He was scared that Shinobu thought he was small. He certainly didn't know the standard, being a traveler and not extremely social.  
  
"Hehe, I was just joking. I wanted to get you off and had to say that. I wasn't even looking and you had a towel around you, which you didn't even notice. Tee-hee, it's so easy to make you blush!" squealed Shinobu.  
  
*These two sure don't mind getting frisky. That would have sucked though if Ben really was small.* thought Kitsune, who didn't know what was considered small or large either.  
  
"I guess I should have paid more attention. Argh, and I'm supposed to be a master of this kind of thing! I feel bad that koibito pulled one over me!" said Ben.  
  
"Well, let's go now. We need to avoid the girls since it's almost time for their baths, we need to make breakfast, and I think we're clean enough." said Shinobu.  
  
"Hai, let's go." said Ben. Outside the bathing area door, Kitsune began panicking.  
  
"Oh shoot, they'll kill me when they find me!" said Kitsune.  
  
"Who'll kill you? We'll help." said Naru who was going to the bath. Accompanying her were Motoko and Su, who were also going to bathe.  
  
*Oh shoot, this is even worse. Now Shinobu and Ben are going to get caught. I can't say it's better me than them because of Shinobu, oh this is not good!* thought Kitsune.  
  
Left with no solutions for options, Kitsune took the coward's path and ran to her room to get her bathing things. She planned to just come down for her 'first time' instead of twice. This would save her skin, but would leave Ben and Shinobu to the wolves. It was the only way to cut losses in Kitsune's mind. As she ran back down, she saw the event following her arrival in slow motion. Ben and Shinobu walked out in towels. Ben had a towel folding around his waist going down to his ankles, as did Shinobu but she had it going from her chest to the top of her thighs instead. They were talking happily when they noticed the other girls looking at them. This was the moment of truth. Naru had veins bulging larger than flood channels and her eyes were just white. Motoko's eyes had disappeared behind the enlarged shadow courtesy of her bangs and had suddenly found her katana. Su was just looking forward with a confused look, but the confusion was probably caused by the fact that she had to choose which person to shoot with her laser rifle. Ben and Shinobu looked at each other, kissed, and looked at the soon to be attackers. This was going to be hard to explain.  
  
Author's Notes: Okay, I know a lot of you are going to hate me for making Ben and Shinobu's relationship move a little fast, but this is laying some groundwork for later. I also know that Shinobu seems a little OOC with her being really bold with her speech and actions. Let's put it this way: she has three or four days to get to know this one guy who has saved her life, so she is bound to make some quick actions. I know some may be getting stretched to a lot, but oh well. Until next time, Ja Ne!  
  
Pre-reader's notes: I couldn't send ch. 7 & 8 to you because of my machine, gomen. I'll send you ch. 9 when I finish it though.  
  
Pre-readers: Chris Ta Koibito 


	9. An argument and then a fight!

"End of the Treasured Ones" A Love Hina fanfiction by Ben Woo  
  
Disclaimer: See Ch. 1. Oh, I don't own Guilty Gear characters  
  
Author's Notes beforehand: I know that I haven't updated in months, gomen. I just didn't have any inspiration, so I've been doing other things. Well, about half of this was written before my hiatus, so it still has the old style, but now I'm using a new way of writing, meaning no tags to the speeches. Well, most anyway. Oh, and if any of my old readers are still with me, thank you from the bottom of my heart, you guys are great.  
  
We find our no longer secret couple sitting in the living area of Hinata Sou with three angry women, one sympathetic woman, and one hysterical kanrinin. The situation at the baths had miraculously been settled peacefully. Ben is sitting next to Shinobu, the two with hands linked and Shinobu leaning on Ben; they occupy one couch. On the three- seat couch perpendicular to them sit Keitaro, Naru, and Kitsune. The next couch is parallel to Ben and Shinobu's, and there sit Motoko, Mutsumi, and Kanako. Su and Sarah are resting their arms on the back of Keitaro's couch and jumping with their legs. Haruka was standing next to Motoko, a cigarrete in her mouth and a whip strapped to her waist. Kanako, Mutsumi, Haruka, and Sarah had come when they heard of the event in the hot springs. Something bad happening to Shinobu simply wasn't allowed; she was a no hurt zone and almost divine. All eyes are on Ben and Shinobu, most glancing at Shinobu and then staring daggers at Ben. Motoko had labeled him 'defiler', a name that quickly stuck to him. None called him this though, for fear of his wrath.  
  
"Hmmmm.explanation......what can I say? I'm in love with her, and nothing can change that right now. I do believe that should be justification to some extent," said Ben.  
  
"Hai, and I love him. You can't hurt him! Please don't!!!!!" cried Shinobu. Her grip was tightening, her nails slowly but surely digging into Ben's skin.  
  
"Ben, I'm glad that you have decided to fall in love. It's essential to a young man's life, however, the person you have chosen is.questionable in the eyes of the tenants. I however, support you," said Keitaro with a smile and a nod.  
  
"Hmmmmmmm.....I'm with Kei-kun, Ben and Shinobu should be allowed to be together," said Naru, leaning slightly on Keitaro. Neither the 'Kei-kun' or the leaning went unnoticed by the room's occupants. They kept silent however, wanting to get the discussion over and get to breakfast.  
  
"Hmmmmm, Keitaro and Naru agree, guess I'm in for Ben too," said Kitsune.  
  
"I can't believe my ears! I know Ben has a righteous cause, but that's no excuse for him to try and poison our beloved Shinobu!" said Motoko with a 'hmph.' It was clear the incident before hadn't left her.  
  
"I agree wholeheartedly with Motoko-chan. Shinobu is too young to fully understand love, and for all we know this MAN, no offense nii-san, could be trying to get a quick fix before his fight," said Kanako skeptically.  
  
"Mmmmmmmmmmmmhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmm...uh, oh yes, we're talking about Shinobu and Ben. I almost forgot! Uh, they're cute, let's have a watermelon!" said Mutsumi while she pulled out a cube shaped watermelon.  
  
"They should be together! This way Shinobu can't go for my papa!" said Sarah.  
  
"Ooooooooooooooh, Shinobu! If you marry him make sure to give me lots and lots of food!" said Su, who apparently didn't care about the situation and was concentrating on sneaking up on Tama-chan.  
  
"Keitaro, I don't believe my vote will count, as it is currently 6:2, and even if the cat and Tama-chan vote for 'no', then it'll remain that Ben wins," said Haruka.  
  
"I thank you all then, for letting us stay togeth--"  
  
"Hold it! I wont' have it unless you can beat me in a fight!" said Motoko, drawing her sword as she stood, but not before Ben pressed his sheathed sword against her waist.  
  
"Motoko, I know that you hate me for 'stealing Shinobu', but please understand that she is staying with me on her own will. I wouldn't force her hand, and if you need proof in a fight, then so be it," said Ben as he lowered his weapon.  
  
"Hehe, you'll lose. I'm fighting with Motoko-chan!" said Kanako, standing.  
  
"Hmph, I guess this is going to be 2 vs. 1, well, that should be fairer than a duel," said Ben mockingly. The concept of fighting women over the right to be with one was absurd to him.  
  
The group made its way to the balcony. Ben took his position on one side as Motoko and Kanako took their positions on the other. Shinobu and the others watched from the roof.  
  
"Hehe, Kanako-chan and Motoko-chan don't know what they're in for," said Keitaro as he sat down.  
  
"Just WHAT do you mean by that, Kei-kun?" asked Naru.  
  
"Oh, pet names already?"  
  
"Kitsune!" said Naru and Keitaro in sync.  
  
"Anyway, I'll continue even though Kitsune is listening. You see, Ben has a tendency to be.protective of almost anything he values greatly. If you said something bad about...well Shinobu would be an example because of the recent events, then you'd better pray he doesn't find out because if he does he'll do his best to make sure you are punished. Oh, these punishments usually vary in length depending on how much punishment you can take before you....expire. I suggest you never talk badly about Shinobu, her father Sho, or me. Yeah, I remember someone talking to me badly, and the guy's body was in a flood channel the next day. He had been 'impaled by a suspiciously sharp tree branch that had fallen on him.' Well, I'm sure you realize what the implications are. He won't let these two go, but he won't go to the extreme either. I suppose we should feel glad, though I wish my sister wasn't so hard-headed," said Keitaro.  
  
Keitaro looked at his listeners, and saw that everyone on the roof had been listening, including Haruka, Su, and Sarah, who had joined during the middle of the explanation. When the group looked at Ben and his opponents, they saw they were still standing, but with weapons drawn. Ben was in his signature stance (described in past chapters), Motoko her usual stance, and Kanako using a new stance. Kanako had her right side facing Ben, her right foot in front pointing at Ben. Her right hand was open, the palm facing Ben. Her left lag was perpendicular to her right and bent at the knee a little, the two legs were spread apart by two feet. Her left hand was a fist, tucked at her side.  
  
*Hahaha, this should be entertaining, to say the least. I know Motoko's moves, but what about Kanako? I shouldn't hurt her too much because she IS Keitaro's sister, but she also offended my relationship with Shinobu. Tsk tsk, the decisions a man must make.* thought Ben as he charged in, not drawing his sword.  
  
"Kanako, Ben is an incredible fighter, so be on your guard."  
  
"Hai,"  
  
The battle starts, and Ben isn't going lightly as he uses both of this weapons and charges Kanako first, wanting to test her abilities. Both of his opponents see the oncoming attack, and react accordingly. Motoko dodges to her right, Kanako to her left. Ben moves towards Kanako, thinking that if he lured Motoko to try and attack him and he moved, she would hit Kanako and that would distract them long enough for him to end the fight in less then a minute. He beings to turn to Kanako, and sense Motoko moving behind him, he smiles, but is caught off-guard when she uses her trademark Zanganzen on him and sending him into Kanako's kick which sends him skyward. Kanako begins chanting, and a bright column of ki force comes upward, following Ben's flying body.  
The pillar of ki hits home, and Ben is struck and flies higher yet to the eyes of the viewers. Kanako is drained, having used one of the more powerful techniques of the Urashima style very early into the fight. Kanako sinks to he knees, laughing lightly and staring upwards, thinking that the fight was over. She however, doesn't take in the fact that the ground beneath her is vibrating, probably because of the drain and that the vibration was a low frequency. Motoko however, does and quickly makes her observation known.  
  
"Kanako, run! He's here," said Motoko as she moved toward her obviously tired comrade.  
  
"Ugh, Motoko-chan, I can't really do much now. Ergh, gotta get up," she said while standing and assuming a sloppy stance in comparison to what she did before.  
  
The two go back to back, facing the sides of the balcony with the crowd to Motoko's left and Kanako's right, and the front of the balcony to their other sides; they're in the middle. They thought that Ben would've come from the sides, but they were shocked when the ground below them suddenly opened up, showing a giant pit. Up leapt Ben, along with a shadow that would move along the ground next to him. Ben looked at the two, and they saw that he had changed into his armor.  
  
"Eddie! Go for the Ben, leave the demon to me."  
  
Ben and the shadow, identified as Eddie, rush the two warriors who are still in shock. Motoko reacts first, blocking Eddies numerous attacks, which consisted of shadow heads flying at her. She could slice them all off, but when the shadows made contact with the ground they found their way back to the original. It soon became obvious to everyone, even Shinobu, that Motoko was losing. The attacks were only intensifying while Motoko's skills were dulling.  
Eddie could sense that its prey was weakening, and quickly made it's finishing attack. It began to store energy by pulling it's punches a little. Meanwhile, Kanako was more or less fighting Ben, as the battle was completely one-sided. Kanako could tell Ben was pulling his punches, and she could only hope Motoko would somehow beat Eddie and come help her before she was finished, which wouldn't take very long for Ben.  
Kanako continued blocking and dodging Ben's attacks with great effort. Even so, the airwaves launched from the speed of Ben's arm were still hitting her, causing moderate damage. Kanako was beginning to think all hope was lost for the battle, when she came up with an idea.  
  
*It'll be dirty, but if it's to win then that's okay!* thought Kanako as she slowly slid away from Ben, who was watching with mild interest.  
  
Back in Motoko's fight, Motoko was in a bit better condition because of Eddie lightening his attacks. She quickly realized that Eddie was planning something and began to formulate a plan. She was suddenly hit with an idea. Her succession technique! It would utterly destroy Eddie and all that would be left was to finish off Ben. Motoko began concentrating so that she wouldn't falter in her move. Eddie was also about to begin his move. It suddenly leapt into the air and morphed into an enormous broadsword, one fit for a giant. Eddie began to fly towards Motoko, who was still concentrating. Just as Eddie reached her, Motoko slashed and released her pent up energy. The cries that Eddie released from the pain of the strike were fit for no other place then hell, but somehow it was made on earth. Everything seemed to stop as Eddie's body began dissipating into the air and the ground. All present could feel the pain, but no one else was showing it like Ben. He had stopped his fight and was trying to grasp Eddie in his hands.  
  
"EDDIE!!! No! I shouldn't have called you to fight.......you wouldn't be dead if I just hadn't called you! I'll avenge you!" cried an anguished Ben.  
  
Ben's body slouched after Eddie's body fully disappeared. He stood up, his torso still hung forward, and he pulled out two broad swords, the one in his right hand was completely white and the left one was completely black. Ben looked up and everyone present could see that he had gone mad, at least for the time being. With a war cry, Ben charged forward, slashing even before he reached Motoko and Kanako.  
The two warriors jump out of the way and look towards each other. They can sympathize with Ben because he lost a friend, even if that friend happened to be a demon. They decided the only course of action would be to knock them out. However, as they start towards Ben, who had just turned around, a flash moves past them and past Ben. Kanako and Motoko feel the wind pass them from whatever went past, but Ben feels an impact and falls down, unconscious. The flash turned out to be Keitaro with his spear.  
  
"Girls, let's just say you won," said Keitaro as he picked Ben up and headed for the main lodge.  
  
The girls could only nod and follow him in.  
  
Author's notes: Well, it's been an incredibly long time, and I'm pretty sure I've lost some fans, but if there are any left then I'm very happy. Anyway, this is what I have, and I know it's probably like an average chapter, but oh well, luck of the draw. I have a huge block right now, and I'm going to be re-reading my chapters and re-organizing my story. Oh, I'm no longer doing the chapter naming thing if I haven't already mentioned that.  
  
Thanks to my pre-readers, though I didn't really get to talk to you guys this time: Chris Ta My koishii 


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